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[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and the oldest surviving British veteran from World War I, has died at the age of 113, his care home said Saturday. Henry Allingham was a founding member of the modern Royal Air Force. Allingham died in his sleep at St. Dunstan's care home in Ovingdean, England, the home said in a statement. Born on June 6, 1896, Allingham was active until his final days, having celebrated his 113th birthday last month on the HMS President with his family, the care home said. The Guinness Book of World Records Certified Allingham as the world's oldest man last month, St. Dunstan's said. Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Gordon Brown both paid their respects to Allingham on Saturday. \"The queen was saddened to hear of the death of Henry Allingham. He was one of the unique generation who sacrificed so much for us all. Our thoughts are with his family at this time,\" Buckingham Palace said in a statement. \"I had the privilege of meeting Henry many times,\" said Brown. \"He was a tremendous character, one of the last representatives of a generation of tremendous characters. My thoughts are with his family as they mourn his passing but celebrate his life.\" Born in the East End of London during the reign of Queen Victoria, Allingham was brought up by his mother and grandparents. His father died when he was a baby. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service as an aircraft mechanic in 1915 after his mother died. Allingham was the last known survivor of the Battle of Jutland, considered the greatest battle of World War I. He was serving aboard the armed trawler HMT Kingfisher, which was sent to meet up with the British fleet as it fought the Germans off what is now mainland Denmark. The battle still holds the record for the most gun-armed battleships and battlecruisers engaged in a fight, according to Britain's Ministry of Defence. In 1917 Allingham was sent to France to support the Royal Flying Corps. His job as a mechanic was to service the aircraft and recover parts from downed planes, but pilots would often ask their mechanics to fly with them, so Allingham would sit behind the pilot and drop bombs or operate the machine gun. Allingham served in Flanders until that November, when he moved to the aircraft depot at Dunkirk, France. He stayed there until the end of the war. Allingham was a founding member of today's Royal Air Force, which was formed in 1918 when the Royal Naval Air Service merged with the Royal Flying Corps. He married his wife, Dorothy, in late 1918 and left the RAF a few months later, in April 1919. But Allingham remained a reservist, and during World War II he was called on to find a solution to the German magnetic mines that were bottling up the English harbor of Harwich, on the Essex coast. Allingham and his team devised an effective system to neutralize the mines, after which every ship was fitted with a neutralizing device using the system. His dedication to the military and the memory of fallen troops never wavered. In his later years especially, Allingham was often seen at memorial events, even though he could no longer walk and had to be transported in a wheelchair. \"Henry was always determined to ensure that today's generation does not forget the sacrifice of those who died on the Western Front,\" St. Dunstan's said in a statement after his death. \"Until recently, he regularly visited schools and attended war-based events as an ambassador for his generation.\" Asked once at a memorial ceremony how he would like to be remembered, Allingham brushed off any thought of it, saying people should instead remember those who died in the wars. \"Remember them, not me,\" he said. He was made a chevalier in France's Legion of Honor in 2003 and was promoted to officer earlier this year. In awarding him the honor this year, the French ambassador to Britain thanked Allingham on behalf of French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his part in protecting France during both World Wars. The Royal Navy celebrated Allingham's birthday last month by throwing him a party aboard the HMS President. A birthday cake and card signed by the First Sea Lord was delivered by fast raiding craft of the Royal Marines, and he was given a decanter of Pussers Rum, his \"favorite tipple,\" on behalf of the Fleet Air Arm. Allingham's wife, Dorothy, died in 1970. Their two daughters both died in their 80s. He is survived by six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 21 great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great grandchild, all of whom live in the United States, the care home said. Since 2006, Allingham had lived at St. Dunstan's, a care home for blind ex-servicemen and -women on the southern English coast. He had lost his sight as a result of age-related macular degeneration. \"Everybody at St. Dunstan's is saddened by Henry's loss and our sympathy goes out to his family,\" said Robert Leader, chief executive at the care home. \"As well as possessing a great spirit of fun, he represented the last of a generation who gave a very great deal for us. Henry made many friends among the residents and staff at St Dunstan's. He was a great character and will be missed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Henry Allingham died in his sleep at a care home in Ovingdean, England .\nQueen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Gordon Brown pay respects to Allingham .\nBorn in 1896, Allingham was active until his final days .\nGuinness Book of World Records says Allingham was world's oldest man ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Consumer advocate Clark Howard revealed to listeners of his radio show on Wednesday that he has prostate cancer. Radio show host Clark Howard says doctors diagnosed him with prostate cancer in its early stages. Howard is one of the best-known consumer experts in the country. He has a nationally syndicated radio show and a new weekend show on CNN sister network HLN. He also has written several books on consumer issues, including two that made The New York Times best-sellers list. \"I just wanted to give it to you right form the horse's mouth, what's going on with me,\" Howard, 53, told listeners Wednesday during this radio show. The cancer was detected recently in its early stages, he said. His doctors had monitored his health for about 2½ years after a routine test came came back with unusual results. The test was a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test to measure antigen, substances that stimulate an immune response in the body. If PSA levels are up, the chances of prostate cancer rise, and Howard's levels were such that his doctor gave him PSA tests every 90 days to monitor antigen levels. He also had biopsies to test for cancer. The fourth and most recent biopsy found a \"very, very small isolated pocket of cancer,\" Howard said. \"Prostate cancer caught early is not a walk in the park, but is not really that big a deal,\" Howard said. \"I just wanted to clear the air because rumors take on a life of their own.\" According to the American Cancer Society, one in six men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes, and one in 35 will die of the disease. Although its numbers are not yet complete for 2008, the organization estimated that during that year, there were about 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the United States and about 28,660 men died from the disease. Among famous men who have been treated for prostate cancer are former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and actor Robert De Niro. There are various options for treating prostate cancer, all with different approaches. The American Cancer Society recommends considering things such as age, other serious health problems, stage of the cancer and side effects of treatment when selecting a method of treatment. Howard said his main point in talking about his diagnosis was to increase awareness among men. \"Guys put themselves in danger by not going to the doctor,\" he said. He spoke to female listeners as well as the men. \"Be a nag. Get your guy in to see the doctor, especially if you're 40 and up,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Atlanta-based consumer advocate makes announcement on radio show .\n\"I just wanted to give it to you right form the horse's mouth,\" Howard says .\nBiopsy reveals \"small, isolated pocket of cancer\" in early stages, he says .\nThe radio show host, best-selling author tells women to urge men to get check-ups ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- When emergency crews scramble to a celebrity's home and it turns out to be a false alarm, journalists don't usually write about it. Cher made the most of a false alarm, offering admiration for emergency personnel who came to her house. When the celebrity is Cher and her publicist issues an entertaining response to a reporter's call, some entertainment writers can't resist. The electronic call for help sounded at Cher's Malibu, California, home at 11:16 a.m. Thursday, spurring a flurry of activity. Ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the singer's residence, sending journalists to their address books for Cher's contact information. Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, quickly responded to CNN's questions with this e-mailed explanation: . \"Just spoke to Cher who confirmed it was a false alarm but said she never saw so many cute firemen and paramedics in her life,\" said Rosenberg's response. \"She added there was an especially gorgeous black-haired ambulance driver that she is really sorry she didn't get to meet. Maybe there'll be another false alarm ...\" We will keep you updated." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Security crews at Cher's house set off false alarm .\nEmergency vehicles zoomed over, though for naught .\nCheeky comment from Cher's publicist: \"Many cute firemen and paramedics\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Fight police misconduct with a cell phone, the NAACP says. The century-old civil rights organization has launched an online reporting system that lets users upload cell phone images of alleged police abuses. The Rapid Report System also lets users send text messages and e-mails about alleged misconduct. \"We know that most of police officers around the nation are excellent public servants. But the few who violate people's rights are often not held accountable,\" said Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP. \"Research has shown that there are many barriers to reporting incidents of police misconduct, including intimidation at police departments and a lack of trust in the integrity of the system, among other reasons. This breakdown leads to an absence of public safety and a deterioration of the quality of life in many communities of color.\" The NAACP unveiled the online system Monday at its national convention in New York City. Users can post images from their cell phones or online. Cell phone footage has repeatedly helped spotlight alleged police misconduct in recent years. The fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Oakland, California, on New Year's Day made headlines and spread across the Internet partly because of cell phone video. The killing sparked large protests in Oakland and led to a murder charge against the transit officer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NAACP unveils new program to allow people to report alleged police misconduct .\nTexts, e-mails can also be sent to document alleged police misdeeds .\nUnarmed California man's shooting captured on phone garnered national attention ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens is sinking billions of dollars into a new wind farm in Texas. It is likely to become the biggest in the world, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.3 million homes. CNN's Ali Velshi asked the oil legend why he thinks wind could be the answer to this country's energy problems: . T. Boone Pickens explains his investment in a 4,000-megawatt wind farm to CNN's Ali Velshi. Ali Velshi: Tell me about the wind. Now, you are buying, for a start, more than 600 wind turbines from General Electric. You're going to put them on this big tract of land in Texas, and you're going to generate a lot of electricity. What happens to that electricity? Tell me where you think you're going to make your money and how this is going to help the situation in America. T. Boone Pickens: Well, that's the first step to a 4,000-megawatt wind farm. This is 1,000 megawatts. We start receiving those turbines in mid 2010. We will have the total 4,000 megawatts finished by the end of 2015. That power will go into a transmission line that will tie into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas system in the state of Texas, and it will be transmitted downstate. Watch why Pickens is willing to spend billions on wind » . Velshi: What's your view of wind power? It's one of several things that we should be looking at in terms of powering our homes, electrical power? We get most of it from coal and natural gas, and some from nuclear. Are you thinking it's one of the formats of power we should be thinking about, or is this going to be bigger than we all thought? Pickens: The Department of Energy came out with a study in April of '07 that said we could generate 20 percent of our electricity from wind. And the wind power is -- you know, it's clean, it's renewable. It's -- you know, it's everything you want. And it's a stable supply of energy. It will be located in [the] central part of the United States, which will be the best from a safety standpoint to be located. You have a wind corridor that goes from Pampa, Texas, to the Canadian border. And it has -- the wind, it's unbelievable that we have not done more with wind. Look at Germany and Spain. They have developed their wind way beyond what we have, and they don't have as much wind as we do. It's not unlike the French have done with their nuclear. They're 80 percent power generated off of nuclear, we're 20 percent. Velshi: I'm fascinated by wind power. I love going by a field of these turbines. And I think they're fascinating. You don't happen to think they're attractive, and you're not really putting them on your land. You're going to be using other people's land to put these things on. Pickens: That's right. And it's very clear, these are my neighbors. And they want them. It generates income for them. A turbine will generate somewhere around 20,000 [dollars] a year in royalty income. And on a 640-acre tract, you can put five to 10 of these on the tract. And you don't have to have them if you don't want them. Velshi: And it's quite common that people who maybe have a piece of land, they might be farmers or something like that, this is extra income to them by making a deal with somebody like you who is going put these things up, if they don't mind having them on the land. Do they get the electricity from it or do they just get a royalty check? Pickens: A royalty check. But look at Sweetwater, Texas. That town was 12,000 people, then went down below 10,000. The wind came in, it's above 12,000 in population now. The local economy is booming. That can be repeated over and over and over again all the way to the Canadian border. Then you have a solar corridor that goes from Sweetwater, Texas, west to the West coast, and that solar corridor can also be developed. But we are going to have to do something different in America. You can't keep paying out $600 billion a year for oil." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens planning 4,000-megawatt wind farm .\nPower will tie to Electric Reliability Council of Texas transmission lines, says Pickens .\nHe will put the turbines on other people's land .\nA turbine will generate around $20,000 a year in royalties, says Pickens ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- \"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince\" hit thousands of theater screens across the country at midnight Wednesday. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter develop a romance in \"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.\" Since then, fans have been buzzing about some of the film's most impressive scenes -- including one called \"I killed Sirius Black.\" In the scene, Potter is confronted by Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange, who is creating mischief for both the boy wizard and his latest crush, Ginny Weasley. (Death Eaters are followers of the series villain, Voldemort.) Exhilarating for some, but frustrating for others, this particular scene from the franchise's sixth installment is a cinematic creation, as it never occurs in the J.K. Rowling novel. Watch the excitement of \"Potter's\" scene » . That aside, it includes pyrotechnic explosions, blazing fires, a massive chase sequence and the use of dark arts -- the Harry Potter version of black magic. In this week's \"The Scene,\" actors Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter; Bonnie Wright, who stars as Ginny Weasley; and director David Yates comment on the action." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince\" came out Wednesday .\nFilm has key scene involving Harry and Bellatrix Lestrange .\nScene is not in J.K. Rowling's book, but a cinematic creation ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The economic downturn may take its toll at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, which opens Wednesday night. But as always, the show will go on. Eli Roth and Brad Pitt are men on a mission in Quentin Tarantino's \"Inglourious Basterds.\" Studios are cutting back on parties and all the glitz that goes with them, according to news reports. Moreover, there will be fewer people around to cover Cannes, as news organizations around the world trim costs. (Several, in fact, have tightened up by eliminating their movie reviewers.) Nevertheless, those who attend may see a bumper crop of good and intriguing films, Variety's Jay Weissberg told Reuters. \"We've all been hoping Cannes would pull something out of the bag to make us feel good again. On paper, they have.\" Leah Rozen, film critic for People magazine, said there are several promising contenders for the Palme d'Or, Cannes' top prize, as well as a number of notable movies premiering out of competition. \"What Cannes really is, is an international festival, and you really see world cinema,\" she said. \"This year, there are 52 films that are going to be represented, of which 20 are in competition.\" See Rozen talk about some of this year's promising works » . Two of the films in competition are American: Quentin Tarantino's World War II movie, \"Inglourious Basterds,\" and Ang Lee's \"Taking Woodstock,\" a tale about the 1969 music festival. Tarantino told The New York Times that he's been hoping to do a war movie for years. \"You've got to make a movie about something, and I'm a film guy, so I think in terms of genres,\" he said. However, the maker of \"Pulp Fiction\" and \"Jackie Brown\" added, that doesn't mean what he ends up with resembles what he started with: \"It's simply the spark that starts the fire.\" \"Inglourious Basterds\" was inspired by a 1978 Italian film that starred Bo Svenson (\"Walking Tall, Part 2\") and football player-turned-actor Fred Williamson (\"Black Caesar\"). Tarantino's film, which he characterized to the Times as \"not a remake,\" stars Brad Pitt and Mike Myers. Cannes has been good to Tarantino; he won the Palme d'Or for \"Pulp Fiction\" 15 years ago. Buzz has been high on \"Basterds\" since Tarantino announced the project several years ago. \"Taking Woodstock,\" the new film by \"Brokeback Mountain\" director Lee, is based on the book by Elliot Tiber, whose hotelier parents owned a musical festival permit in Bethel, New York, where Woodstock was held. The cast includes Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Emile Hirsch, Imelda Staunton and Eugene Levy as Max Yasgur, on whose farm the festival was finally held. Other films in competition include Lars von Trier's \"Antichrist,\" Jane Campion's \"Bright Star\" and Pedro Almodovar's \"Broken Embraces.\" Gallery: Some of Cannes' recent winners » . But this year's Cannes festival is attracting plenty of attention for its out-of-competition films as well. The festival is opening with \"Up,\" the latest animated work from Pixar. \"That sort of breaks convention to open with what is, basically, a fancy cartoon,\" Rozen said. Also at Cannes will be Heath Ledger's last film, \"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.\" The Oscar-winning \"Dark Knight\" actor died during the making of the Terry Gilliam film; Gilliam managed to complete it by doing some rewriting and casting other actors -- including Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp -- to play Ledger's part. Despite the interest in seeing Ledger, the film is still struggling to find a buyer, though Entertainment Weekly recently reported that a Los Angeles screening went over well. Cannes, which also functions as a huge film marketplace, may widen the net in attracting distributors. But much of the fun from Cannes comes from the films that emerge from nowhere. Recent winners of the Palme d'Or include 2000's \"Dancer in the Dark,\" which established singer Bjork as an actress, and \"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,\" a Romanian film that ended up topping many critics' lists in 2007. \"One thing that always surprises me is that some of the films you have the lowest expectations for turn out to be terrific, and sometimes the bigger films turn out to be disappointments,\" Rozen said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Quentin Tarantino's new film, \"Inglourious Basterds,\" playing Cannes .\nHeath Ledger's last film, \"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,\" also to be shown .\nPixar's \"Up\" to open famed French festival, which begins Wednesday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(OPRAH.com) -- Her name was Margaret. She had an answer for everything, even questions I didn't ask her. She dominated team meetings, nearly jumping out of her chair with \"Look at me!\"--type comments aimed directly at the boss. There are some tactics to help you survive team destroyers. The rest of us sitting there, jaws slack with amazement and disgust -- we were merely a load she had to carry on her back. His name was Mike, and he hadn't done a full day's work in years, but he sure knew how to draw us into his life of woe. One night at 10 p.m., I found myself finishing his report on deadline. He couldn't be there, he said, because his father was sick. By that point, I wasn't even sure he had a father. But there I was, alone, frustrated, and exhausted, in a state of loathing for work so intense I wished I could ditch it all. Oprah.com: The truth about saying no at work . And that is exactly where a dysfunctional co-worker --or as I call them, an \"un-teammate\" -- can put you. It's a crying shame, because working alongside a good team player is one of life's most fulfilling experiences. She makes work enjoyable; she makes it feel like something bigger than a paycheck. Working with team destroyers, well, destroys all that. They slow work down; they sap its fun, trust, and creativity. And in the process, they invariably undermine the candid and energized debate that characterizes any successful group. So why aren't they all sent packing? In good organizations, most are --eventually. But many team destroyers are like workplace Houdinis, escaping damage to their own careers while making everyone else look bad. These are the people you must survive. But how? The answer depends on the type of un-teammate you're dealing with. Generally speaking, there are five: Boss Haters, Stars, Sliders, Pity Parties, and Self-Promoters. Each species has its own way of poisoning the environment and its own antidote. The first thing you can do is start with the assumption that virtually every team destroyer is an unhappy person. No one tries to damage co-workers, a team, or an entire organization without being a bit emotionally damaged themselves. Oprah.com: 6 signs you're in the wrong job . Boss haters, stars and sliders . Let's start with the boss haters -- you know the type. Harry will tell you his disdain for authority is a reasonable reaction to the tyranny of incompetent bosses. Elizabeth will tell you she refuses to be oppressed by corporate lackeys. Other Boss Haters have personal issues behind their nitpicking resistance to every directive from above. I once met a manager who told me, \"For a long time, I hated all my bosses because my father was a cruel authoritarian --I almost ruined my own career. Thank God I came to my senses.\" Such conversion experiences are rare, however. Most Boss Haters persist, using every kind of subterfuge from eye-rolling to outright belligerence, until management loses patience and ousts them. Some Boss Haters are hard to extricate because of union rules or special skills. If that's your situation, your best approach as the peer of a Boss Hater is a freeze-out. Don't belabor Harry's resistance or try reasoning with Elizabeth. Simply isolate; refuse to listen to their ongoing complaints. Once they're cut off from the group, Boss Haters tend to lose their energy. Now for Stars. Make no mistake -- organizations could not survive without their results. Fortunately, many key players are Stars largely because they are the best kind of employee, inclusive and inspiring, but some Stars can develop into real bullies. My team at a consulting firm had to endure Chad, an articulate (and, yes, brilliant) economics major from M.I.T. whom our clients adored. (Like other people in this piece, his name has been changed.) Sensing he was untouchable, Chad would bulldoze his ideas through the team process and ridicule anyone who dared to disagree. Another group I worked with suffered through Gwen, a marketing \"guru\" who'd been stolen away from another firm to bestow her genius on us. She passively disrupted our discussions by not participating, her silence sending the message \"This nonsense is beneath me.\" We didn't have much recourse. Few bosses want to hear nattering about a goose that's laying golden eggs. Your best option in terms of self-preservation is to accept Stars for the good they do and ignore the bad. I've seen only one other approach work, but it's hard to recommend. This technique involves playing to a Star's weakness -- the need for constant praise. As strange as it may seem, many Stars are deeply insecure and cannot receive enough ego stroking from bosses. Co-workers can play the same game, thereby drawing a Star back into the team process. But don't try this unless you really feel the love for your own Chad or Gwen; a phony intervention won't work. Sliders are former Stars, resting on their laurels and undermining their teams with apathy. Their unspoken excuse is \"I've proven my worth around here; I don't need to scramble anymore.\" Take John Smith, a crusty old newsman who had won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Vietnam. I met him when we were both assigned to the same investigative team 20 years ago. The young reporters, myself included, fairly trembled in John's exalted presence, but within weeks, it became obvious to us that he had no interest in interviewing sources or late-night stakeouts. He preferred to sit around the office drinking coffee and telling war stories to his in-house fan club. Fast-forward to the end of the project: a front-page article under the byline -- you guessed it -- John Smith and the newspaper team. The editors knew John had done minimal work, but in the newspaper business, one way of keeping score is by the number of Pulitzer Prize winners on staff. My solution at the time was to moan and groan with my teammates about the injustice of it all. What a waste. Sliders will always live inside a protective bubble that no peer can pierce, because they deliver tangible value to an institution. Don't bother griping; instead, buck up and join the Slider's fan club, respecting him for contributions you can only imagine making. With that mind-set, you might even be able to turn your Slider into a mentor. To this day, I remember what John Smith taught me about reporting -- when I finally dumped my pointless indignation and asked him. Oprah.com: 10 ways to love your job right now . Pity parties and self-promoters . Pity Parties are those un-teammates who have an excuse for every act of inaction. Their computer melted down. Their elderly aunt came to visit or, like Mike, their father is sick. The most expert Pity Parties concoct long-running sympathy stories: bad backs, bad marriages, bad childcare, and so on. I don't want to sound harsh. Sometimes people really do need time off or special accommodations, but Pity Parties make an art form of wriggling out of responsibility, and you're left wondering if you're a heel for resenting them -- or a dupe for helping them. Your best strategy is to steer clear of Pity Parties and their appeals for help. You'll need to steel yourself to say no as often as humanly possible, even if they promise you, \"This is the very last time.\" The line I ended up using with Mike was \"I'm in a bind too. Did you ask Rory for help?\" (Rory was our boss.) That response did not put an immediate end to Mike's ways; he went looking for other enablers. Still, it sent the signal -- both to Mike and my co-workers -- that I would not cut side deals. When enough of us started saying no, he left us alone. The final form of dysfunctional coworker is the Self-Promoter, like \"Look at Me\" Margaret, who saw every team assignment as an opportunity for personal advancement. In their pursuit of fame and glory, Self-Promoters occasionally sabotage peers. I once had a co-worker who used staff meetings, with the boss in attendance, to vociferously attack every other writer's work as \"hackneyed\" or, her favorite word, \"superficial.\" If we pushed back against her critiques, she accused us of being competitive with her. There was no way to win. Usually, that's the case with Self-Promoters. They can drub you with their narcissistic \"logic\" -- they're right; you're just defensive -- and wear you down with their egocentric career campaign. But they can't smite everyone forever. After a few promotions, the moment comes for every Self-Promoter when they need a favor or help, and there is no one left to ask. So keep your head down and wait. And most important, keep overdelivering, even if your local weasel tries to steal all the credit. Self-Promoters might get more praise than they deserve, but in any good organization, real team players ultimately get what they deserve: respect and admiration. If you have any doubt about that, you might ask Margaret. I stopped working with her years ago, but I recently heard that the company asked her to move on -- just when she thought she had achieved the position of vice president, the goal she'd been gunning for. Colleagues tell me she interviewed for jobs for a year afterward, but with less than enthusiastic references, she couldn't land one. She ended up going out on her own as a consultant, and I just learned she's a tireless and admired mentor for young women in a leadership program in Boston. I don't know what she tells them, but I can venture a guess: Do everything you can at work to be a great team player, and learn to survive (and thrive) around those who are not. By Suzy Welch from O, The Oprah Magazine © 2009 . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There are five common dysfunctional co-workers you may encounter .\nTypes: Boss Haters, Stars, Sliders, Pity Parties, and Self-Promoters .\nRefuse to listen to a Boss Hater; steer clear of Pity Parties; turn Slider into a mentor .\nPraise will draw Star back to team but only if you can say it conviction ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Financial crisis-stricken Iceland formally applied for European Union membership on Friday, a day after lawmakers narrowly backed a government plan to take the island nation into the economic and political bloc. Icelandic PM Johanna Sigurdardottir pledged to take Iceland into the EU during April's election campaign. A copy of the application was submitted to the Swedish government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, Iceland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement. Iceland's economy was devastated by the collapse of the island's banking system last year, leading to the resignation of the country's government. In elections in April, center left leader Johanna Sigurdardottir was elected prime minister after pledging to take Iceland into the EU. On Thursday, Iceland's parliament, the Althing, voted in favor of the government plan by 33 votes to 28 with two abstentions. \"This is a historic day for Iceland,\" Foreign Minister Ossur Skarphedinsson said in a statement. \"As a European nation already deeply integrated into European structures... we now look forward to taking the next logical step, in close cooperation with our European partners.\" Welcoming Iceland's application, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said: \"The decision of the Icelandic Parliament is a sign of the vitality of the European project and indicative of the hope that the European Union represents. Iceland is a European country with long and deep democratic roots.\" Iceland already benefits from a free trade arrangement with European Union member states, latterly as a participating member of the European Economic Area, which was established in 1994, and formerly through a bilateral free trade agreement with the EEC, the EU's predecessor. But Icelanders have traditionally been skeptical of the benefits of full EU membership, fearing that they would lose some of their independence as a small state within a larger political entity. At present three other states in southeastern Europe -- Croatia, FYR Macedonia and Turkey -- are candidate countries for EU membership. \"I am pleased that the EU's enlargement agenda may soon extend to Europe's north-western corner as well, with Iceland, a country with deep democratic traditions, in addition to our continued commitment to South East Europe,\" said Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Iceland applies for EU membership after lawmakers back government plan .\nIsland's economy was devastated by collapse of banking system last year .\nIceland already enjoys free trade deal with EU member states .\nEuropean Commission President hails Iceland's \"long, deep democratic roots\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A hearing to consider who will raise Michael Jackson's three children has been delayed another week, while lawyers work to avoid a court battle over custody. Debbie Rowe said she married Michael Jackson to avoid the taboo of having childrien out of wedlock. The delay -- the third one this month -- was announced Friday afternoon by a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman. Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children, has not publicly revealed whether she will challenge Katherine Jackson, his 79-year-old mother, for custody or visitation rights. Katherine Jackson gained temporary guardianship of her son's children soon after his death last month. The two women have been working to \"privately and amicably resolve\" the matter since Jackson's death, a Jackson family lawyer said. Rowe's lawyer said this week that she was not asking the Jackson family for more money in exchange for dropping a possible custody challenge. A close friend of Rowe said she has been grieving Jackson's death -- grief made more painful by paparazzi hounding her and media reports vilifying Rowe by depicting her as a heartless woman who would trade her kids for cash. \"Debbie's a very caring, wonderful, warm person,\" said Marc Schaffel, who met first met Rowe when he worked for Jackson. \"She's a very humble person. People, you know, don't give her credit that she was a friend of Michael's for over 30 years.\" Jackson and Rowe met when she was working as a nursing assistant in the Beverly Hills office of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Rowe said in a 2003 interview, later obtained by ABC News, that she became closer to Jackson in 1996 when she consoled him after his brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley ended. \"He was upset because he really wanted to be a dad,\" Rowe said. \"I said, 'So, be a dad.' He looked at me puzzled. That is when I looked at him and said. 'Let me do this. I want to do this. You have been so good to me. You are such a great friend. Please let me do this. You need to be a dad, and I want you to be.'\" She told the interviewer they married in 1996 only to \"prevent some of the taboo of a child out of wedlock.\" While Schaffel would not say if their relationship was sexual, he said Rowe had \"a true, true love there for Michael.\" Their first child, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., was born in February 1997. A daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, was born the next year. Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation. The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got a $8.5 million settlement, according to court documents. Jackson later agreed to additional support. Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001, but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children. A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated, opening the door to a possible custody battle. Rowe claimed in the 2003 interview that she still had \"some influence\" over how Jackson raised the children, citing his practice of covering their faces in public as her idea. \"That was my request, not his,\" she said. \"I am the one who's terrified. I am the one who's seen the notes that someone's going to take his children,\" she said. She said the children don't call her \"mom\" because she did not want them to. \"It's not that they're not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father,\" she said. Rowe, 50, lives on a farm in Palmdale, California, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, where she breeds horses and dogs. \"She spends time with all of her horses and her dogs,\" Schaffel said. \"If one of her horses is sick, Debbie will stay up all night long caring for them. She'll sleep on the floor in the barn with a horse if he's not well. \"Debbie doesn't run out to all of the social events,\" he said. \"You don't see her shopping on Rodeo Drive. She's not hitting the hot spots. She's not trying to be in the limelight. Debbie is just as happy at home in her very modest, humble, horse ranch.\" When Hollywood's paparazzi surrounded her outside a restaurant near her ranch earlier this month, she showed flashes of anger and frustration. \"Are you ready to fight for your kids?\" a photographer repeatedly shouted. \"Are you ready to get your butt kicked?\" she replied, as she walked through the swarm. Schaffel said Rowe wants privacy and she's \"just trying to go on with her life.\" \"She doesn't react well with the paparazzi,\" he said. Rowe's lawyers have stepped up their efforts to bolster her public image by firing off warning letters and demanding retractions when they see reports they think are wrong. One letter sent Tuesday demanded the New York Post retract its report that Rowe had agreed to drop her custody claims for $4 million. \"Ms. Rowe has not accepted -- and will not accept -- any additional financial consideration beyond the spousal support she and Michael Jackson personally agreed to several years ago,\" Eric George said in the letter. \"Among the several contenders for overzealous and inaccurate sensationalism, the New York Post has now seized top honors,\" George wrote to the paper. \"It would be easier to identify those few background facts that are accurate than to catalog the number of blatant falsehoods in your story.\" \"The Post stands by its story,\" New York Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan told CNN. Rowe also filed a lawsuit this week against a woman who claimed in a TV interview to have e-mails from Rowe saying she didn't really want to raise the children. The suit asked that Rowe be given any money paid to the woman for the interview. CNN's Kay Jones contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lawyers for Katherine Jackson and Debbie Rowe working to avoid court battle .\nRowe's friend says vilification in the press exacerbating grief over Jackson's death .\nJackson and Rowe met when she was a nursing assistant for his dermatologist .\nShe told ABC in 2003 that she wanted to help Jackson become a dad ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- An air-supported roof over the Dallas Cowboys' practice field collapsed during a heavy thunderstorm Saturday afternoon, leaving 12 people injured, authorities said. An aerial view of the scene shows the Dallas Cowboys logo amid the ruins of the indoor practice facility. About 70 people, including more than two dozen of the team's rookies, were in the facility when it was blown down shortly before 3:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. ET), team officials said. Two or three suffered serious injuries, but none were believed to be in life-threatening condition Saturday night, said Dr. Paul Pepe, Dallas County's emergency medical services chief. CNN affiliate WFAA reported Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, the son-in-law of former NFL head coach Dan Reeves, suffered a broken back. DeCamillis was seen on a stretcher wearing a neck brace. A line of heavy thunderstorms was moving through the Dallas area at the time, he said, but no other damage to buildings was reported, said Mike Adams, a dispatcher for the Irving, Texas, fire department. Watch the roof collapse on players, coaches » . Arnold Payne, a photographer for WFAA, was shooting the Cowboys' practice session when rain began falling \"tremendously hard.\" \"I noticed the walls started to waver ... and then I noticed that the lights that were hanging from the ceiling started to sway, and it wouldn't stop,\" Payne told CNN. Shortly after that, he said, \"It was as if someone took a stick pin and hit a balloon.\" Watch Payne describe being inside when structure collpased » . Payne said Cowboys staff photographers were up in the metal framework beneath the canopy to film the practice session and \"actually rode the building down with the storm.\" At least one was in surgery Saturday night, he said. \"There was nowhere for them to go, and it fell so fast -- it just collapsed as if it was being imploded,\" Payne said. Video from CNN affiliate WFAA showed the roof caving in during a heavy storm, sending players, coaches and a handful of reporters and photographers scrambling to escape. Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones told NBC that about 27 rookies from the NFL team and members of the team's coaching staff were inside the suburban Dallas facility at the time. \"They did not get good warning there, and the structure did collapse,\" Jones said, speaking from the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. \"We're assessing who's injured at this particular time.\" CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Witness: Team photographers were up in framework of structure, rode it down .\nDallas Cowboys' practice facility collapses during thunderstorm, injuring 12 .\nNone of the injuries appears to be life-threatening, says county EMS chief .\nAbout 70 people were inside the facility when it fell, fire official says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PESHAWAR, Pakistan (CNN) -- Twenty well-behaved boys sit on the floor in two rows, quietly eating a humble lunch of flat bread, water and beans. The \"lost boys\" of Swat enjoy a humble lunch of flat bread, water and beans. Their hair is neatly combed and they are dressed in spotless Pakistani shalwar kamiz long shirts and baggy trousers. These boys are orphans, and they are lucky to be alive. \"Sir, it was very dangerous,\" explained 15-year-old Mohammad Nawaz. Last Friday, Nawaz and his friends escaped from Pakistan's Swat Valley after their orphanage ended up on the front-line of the government's war with the Taliban. When hostilities resumed in Swat two weeks ago, Pakistani soldiers from nearby barracks commandeered the roof of the four-story orphanage in Swat's district capital, Mingora, to use it as a lookout. They built sandbag bunkers on the roof, and buried landmines in the orphanage's playground. Then, Taliban militants laid siege to the building. Nawaz said \"many\" insurgents armed with rocket launchers and Kalashnikov assault rifles surrounded the orphanage. Watch more on the boys' ordeal » . About 50 terrified orphans, accompanied by adult support staff, cowered in a back room on the ground floor. Shaken by the explosions and small-arms fire around their building, the older boys, some aged 16 and 17, tried to console the youngest children, some of whom are as young as seven. They were all crying. It wasn't until last Friday that the first batch of orphans were able to escape. \"We had to ride on the roof of a bus,\" said 16-year old Mohammad Yusuf, a soft-spoken teenager with the beginnings of a beard appearing on his chin. After a creeping, traffic-choked, three-hour drive from Mingora, the boys and their teachers begged for a ride from a passing vegetable truck. Yusuf said the boys rode the rest of the way to Peshawar sitting in the back of a truck on bags of peas, stopping only when the truckers had to remove the cargo to have it washed. Watch more on the situation in the Swat Valley » . \"When the peas were washed and loaded again, we all got wet,\" said Yusuf, laughing. Now the boys are relatively safe and receiving some counseling from therapists at a shelter in Peshawar provided by another Pakistani charity organization, the Dost Foundation. The children have seen more then their share of violence during two years of intermittent fighting around the Swat Valley. When asked about the worst moment two boys immediately responded \"suicide bombers,\" making explosive gestures with their hands from their chests. Due to the orphanage's close proximity to a Pakistani army base in Mingora, the boys were often witnesses to the aftermath of Taliban attacks. In one incident a suicide bomber blew out all of the glass windows of the orphanage. Opinions were split among the boys about the Taliban. \"They want Islam,\" said Nawaz, referring to the Taliban's demand for the imposition of Islamic sharia law across Pakistan. The proposal resonates with many Pakistanis, who are frustrated with corruption in the country's judicial system. \"The Taliban dropped the price of public transport,\" Nawaz said, adding, \"Plus they used to help sort out traffic jams.\" Watch more on the refugee situation » . \"We are angry with the Taliban,\" argued Yusuf, the 16-year-old. \"There is no rule in Islam that allows you to behead someone.\" Since the arrival of the boys in Pakistan's western city of Peshawar, social workers have been trying to help them relax. They spent the weekend playing cricket in the small yard of their half-way house, watching movies and on Sunday getting a tour of the city. Several boys said they were looking forward to seeing an airport for the first time in their lives. But orphanage director Muhammad Ali was wracked with worry about their future. Out of sight of the children, he broke down weeping. \"I am the father of these children,\" Ali said. \"This is not an orphanage, this is our home... now finished.\" Ali spent the afternoon on Sunday desperately trying to call a final group of 24 boys who were trying to escape from Mingora. They left on foot, because the road out of Mingora was mined and there was a shortage of vehicles for the evacuation of refugees. Ali said the orphans, accompanied by adult administrators, had split into groups of five, with three older boys equipped with a cell phone and cash leading two younger boys. By nightfall, the orphans had walked for hours. They spent the night on the floor of a religious school outside Mingora, after authorities re-imposed a curfew in the Swat Valley. On Monday evening the children arrived exhausted and dirty in Peshawar after traveling more than 24 hours. One of their adult chaperones estimated they had to travel on foot for more then 20 miles before eventually finding vehicle transport to complete the journey. Administrators said one of the boys, named Ubaid, somehow became separated from the rest of the group, and ended up staying behind. They say he is back at the orphanage in Mingora, being cared for by the Pakistani soldiers stationed there. \"It was a long, chaotic journey and experience that I will never forget,\" said Imran Khan, one of the orphanage's wardens. He said he had spent part of the journey carrying on his back a boy with a spinal problem. \"Swat used to be known as paradise on earth,\" Khan said. \"Now it has become hell on earth.\" More than 360,000 people have fled the conflict zone since May 2." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Boys flee their Swat Valley orphanage after Taliban attack their home .\nArmy had set-up position in their building, mining the playground .\nThe boys cowered in a back room, as the fighting raged outside .\nThey eventually rode to safety on top of a bus and back of a vegetable truck ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(MENTAL FLOSS) -- When we think of economic crises in America, two periods come to mind -- the Great Depression and whatever it is we're in the middle of right now. But the U.S. stock market has crashed more times than we'd like to admit. Historically, our economy has been brought to its knees by everything from greedy bankers to horse illnesses. Horses, cows, whales and a failed copper scheme caused economic panics earlier in U.S. history. So let's take a deep breath and remember that panics are just part of the American way of life. 1. The Panic of 1873: America stops horsing around . During the late 19th century, the American economy relied on horses the way it depends on gas today. Horses unloaded cargo from ports, transported goods from city to city, worked the farms, supported the army, and served as the emergency vehicles of choice. Without them, the American workforce would have ground to a halt. And that's exactly what happened in 1872, when an estimated 99 percent of all horses in America contracted equine influenza. The highly contagious strain started in Canada and spread through New England to the South in a matter of months, leaving horses across the country too weak to stand and coughing uncontrollably. Street buggies stopped running, paralyzing commerce in the cities. Railroads were stymied because trains run on coal -- coal that was hauled out of mines by horses. And as the horse flu spread, U.S. military troops had to go into battle on foot (they were fighting Apache Indians at the time). More tragically, a fire in Boston raged for three days because there were no horses to carry water. The flames destroyed more than 700 buildings, causing an estimated $73.5 million in damages and killing at least 20 people. The \"Great Epizootic,\" as it was called, spiraled out of control in less than a year. At the height of the panic, as many as 20,000 businesses failed, a third of all railroads went bankrupt, and unemployment spiked to almost 15 percent. The economy took nearly a decade to recover. Ironically, nearly all of the horses recuperated by the following spring. 2. The Winter of 1886: When the cows don't come home . During the second half of the 19th century, cattle ranches in the American West were thriving. From the Montana grasslands to the Texas prairie, ranches were attracting investors back East and across the pond in Europe. But by 1886, things were getting dicey. Overgrazing, coupled with a hot and dry summer, had left the plains almost bare. Then came the snow. Known as the \"Winter of Death,\" the following season saw one of the worst cold spells in recorded history. More than half the cattle in the West froze to death, unable to move in the thick snow. Ghoulish firsthand accounts describe the bodies of dead cows stretching for miles across the horizon. When the spring thaw and floods came, thousands of bloated corpses floated into the streams and rivers. Some ranchers quit the business entirely and didn't even bother to round up their surviving cattle. Mental Floss: Bold business scams that failed miserably . By the end of 1887, the disaster had wiped out more than half of the United States' western cattle and debilitated the national economy. Most cattle investors went bankrupt, and thousands of cowboys were left unemployed. But more than anything, the winter of 1886 put an end to all those turn-of-the-century, idyllic fantasies of open-range ranching in the Wild West. 3. The Panic of 1907: Captains of industry to the rescue! The Panic of 1907 started the way many panics do, with a greedy capitalist. Multimillionaire Augustus Heinze, who had made his fortune mining in Montana, believed he had enough control over the copper industry to corner the market. With the help of several major banks, he concocted a scheme to buy up all the shares of United Copper. But Heinze had overestimated his prowess, and the scheme failed, bringing down Heinze, United Copper, the banks, and many, many stockholders. Mental Floss: Who is Ponzi and what was his scheme? The debacle sent ripples of anxiety throughout the market, and investors started pulling their money out of banks altogether. After one of New York City's biggest trusts went under, panic ensued, and the stock market collapsed. At the time, there were no central banks in place, so the federal government had no means of bailing out businesses or injecting cash into the economy. It just stood by, idly waiting for a hero to save the day. Amazingly, one did. James Pierpont Morgan, banker extraordinaire, rescued the American economy. He propped up many of the failing banks in New York by twisting the arms of other financiers, and he assuaged investors' fears by backing up the market with his own vast cash reserves. Before long, Wall Street was on the mend. The government also learned its lesson. With the panic resolved, it created the Federal Reserve, ensuring that it could buttress the economy during hard times. Since then, the government has taken a more active role in financial matters and relied less on the kindness of robber barons. 4. Whale of a Crisis: The collapse of America's first oil industry . During the early 19th century, America was one of the top oil-producing countries in the world. But it wasn't petroleum the nation was exporting; it was whale oil. By the mid-1800s, the high-risk, high-profit business was the fifth-largest industry in the United States. Mental Floss: 6 things you probably don't know about oil . At its height, the American whaling industry produced more than 10 million gallons of oil a year and sold it for $1.77 a gallon (about $35 per gallon today). Better still, an American fleet of 1,000 ships had exclusive access to the North Atlantic territories, which ensured profits. What could have stopped such a juggernaut of an industry? For one thing, other sources of oil. In 1846, Canadian geologist Abraham Gesner developed a technique for distilling kerosene from petroleum, and within a few decades, kerosene had replaced whale oil as the most popular fuel for lamps. Another reason for the decline was that the whales were dying off. The enthusiastic slaughter throughout the 1800s drove some whale species to extinction and put others on the brink. With so few left to hunt, the cost of whaling became prohibitively expensive. The final blow to whalers came during the harsh winter of 1871, when the North Atlantic ice trapped and crushed the bulk of the American fleet. Although American consumers didn't suffer as the country switched from whale oil to petroleum, coastal towns in New England and the Mid-Atlantic languished, and shipbuilders and fishermen found themselves out of work. By the time of the Civil War, whaling ships had become so worthless that Union soldiers loaded a fleet of them with stones and sank them into Charleston harbor. The hope was to blockade the South from the port, but when the plan didn't work, the ships were no great loss. America's first oil industry had been tapped out. For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Odd things caused U.S. economy to tank four other times .\nDisease kills 99 percent of horses in 1872, causing business failures, bankruptcies .\nDry summer, record cold winter in 1886 wipes out half the cattle in West .\n1907 copper scheme causes run on banks, banker uses own money to stop it ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- July is on track to be the deadliest month yet for British troops supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup says the sacrifices of British forces are worth it. So far, 15 British servicemen have died in Afghanistan this month, mostly in connection with Operation Panther's Claw, the British-led offensive in Helmand province that is mirroring a similar operation by U.S. Marines in the same area. Britain's deadliest month in Afghanistan so far has been September 2006, when 19 died -- 14 in a single incident, the crash of a Royal Air Force plane near Kandahar. The sudden spike in British deaths has triggered an outcry in the United Kingdom over the mission there and whether it will be successful. \"Every casualty is sad, every casualty is deeply felt by us in the military. I mean, they are part of our military family. The losses, of course, are felt most by the real families of those involved and the bereavement is terrible,\" Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup, the chief of defense staff for Great Britain, told CNN in an exclusive interview. But earlier, he pointed out, at the same time the 15 British troops had been killed, at least 197 Taliban forces had been confirmed killed in fighting. Watch questions being asked about the sacrifices » . \"These casualties are pretty one-sided. Sad though our losses are, they are very small compared to the losses that the enemy is taking,\" he said in an interview at the British Embassy. Stirrup, whose position is equivalent to Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the government wants people to know that the sacrifices are worth it. \"This is a military operation and on military operations, you engage in fighting. That's why we have militaries and, sadly, you take casualties. The real issue is, first of all, are we getting something of sufficient strategic benefit to justify the price that our people are paying?\" he said. \"Secondly, are we doing everything we can to ensure that we achieve that strategic benefit with the minimum possible number of casualties? And those, I think, are the key arguments in which we have to engage.\" The British military has been criticized for using vehicles that cannot withstand the blast of a roadside bomb. Stirrup told CNN that the British troops are conducting missions that forces them out of protective vehicles. \"You can't engage with the population of Helmand from inside several inches of steel. You have actually to get out on the ground,\" Stirrup said. \"Our people have to get out there, they have to engage with the population and close with the enemy and that, alas, exposes them to risks and sometimes those risks materialize. Have we got the right equipment? Well, we have excellent equipment on the ground and our troops will tell you that.\" But Stirrup admits that while the United Kingdom is constantly updating the equipment sent to Afghanistan, the results are delayed. \"It takes time for industry to produce the new equipment. It's ordered, it's being delivered, but it's delivered over time, so it's always that gap, if you like, between identifying that change requirement and being able to deliver it on the ground,\" Stirrup said. He said there is one British serviceman who won't have to worry about the dangers of Afghanistan: Prince William. \"Prince William is second in line to the throne. That produces certain difficulties to his employment in a combat environment,\" he said. \"I'm not going to say one way or the other what we will do for the future. What I will say is that he is training at the moment to be a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, which is a tremendously demanding occupation. It's professionally demanding. It also is at times pretty hazardous, and I think he is going to find that challenge enough and reward enough in the short term.\" The prince's younger brother, Prince Harry, served in Afghanistan for about 10 weeks until news of his deployment was leaked by a U.S. Web site. He was then pulled out to keep his unit from being targeted specifically aimed at him." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "15 servicemen have died this month, compared with 19 in September 2006 .\nMost deaths attributed to Operation Panther's Claw in Helmand province .\nAir Chief Marshall says numbers pale in comparison to 197 Taliban deaths .\nSudden spike triggers outcry in UK, criticism of vehicles used in operations ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Singer-actress Mandy Moore and rocker Ryan Adams were married this week in Savannah, Georgia, Moore's publicist told CNN on Wednesday. Mandy Moore first found recording success in 1999 with her single \"Candy\" and is now a well-known actress. The wedding took place Tuesday, said Jillian Fowkes, who gave no further details about the nuptials. Rumors first surfaced almost a year ago that Moore, 24, and Adams, 34, were dating, as paparazzi photos surfaced of the couple out together in Los Angeles, California. Moore's first success as a recording artist came in 1999 with her debut album, \"So Real,\" which went platinum with the help of her top-10 single \"Candy.\" Adams is known for producing rock music with a country influence. He is best known for his song \"New York, New York\", which appeared on his 2001 release \"Gold.\" Adams is also an author and has produced music for Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson. He recently announced that he was leaving his band, The Cardinals, because of inner ear troubles affecting his balance and hearing. Adams has fronted The Cardinals since 2004." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams married quietly in Savannah, Georgia .\nCouple was first spotted together by paparazzi almost a year ago .\nHe recently announced he is leaving The Cardinals ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A second person has died during construction for Madonna's upcoming concerts in Marseilles, France, authorities said Friday. Firefighters leave the Stade Velodrome stadium in Marseille after the accident on Thursday. The second fatality was a 32-year-old British citizen, the British Foreign Office and a high-ranking police official said. It was not clear whether the person was a man or woman, but the next of kin had been informed, the Foreign Office said. A 53-year-old French man was killed Thursday when a crane collapsed at the venue, a fire department spokesman in the southern French city said. A third person was in critical condition, said Alexandre Lanzalavi, a spokesman for Marseille Hospital. Two other people were in hospital and required surgery, and seven others were treated and released, Lanzalavi said. Madonna said Thursday that she was \"devastated\" to hear about the death. \"My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families, along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news,\" Madonna said in a statement issued by her representative, Liz Rosenberg. At least one Madonna show had been canceled, Rosenberg told CNN. The accident happened when a crane collapsed while lifting a large metallic truss -- a structure from which lights hang -- into place, Lt. Thierry Delorme of the French Navy told CNN. In Marseille, the fire department is a part of the Navy. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the collapse, he said. Some 27 fire engines and 80 firefighters responded to the emergency when the accident occurred about 5:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. ET). Madonna was to play the first of five concerts for her \"Sticky and Sweet\" tour at the 60,000-seat Stade Velodrome on Sunday. The singer was in Udine, Italy, when she heard the news, Rosenberg said. Flora Genoux in Paris, France, contributed to this story for CNN." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two people killed when stage being built for Madonna concert collapses .\nAccident happened Thursday afternoon in southern French city of Marseille .\nMadonna was due to play first of five concerts in city Sunday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in a rare television interview Tuesday, shed some light on who might eventually take over leadership of the country. Kim Jong Nam, 35, in southern China's casino haven of Macau on January 30, 2007 . Kim Jong Nam told TV Asahi in Macau that he does not care about politics or succeeding his father. \"Personally, I am not interested in this issue (succession),\" he said in an interview with the Japanese television network. \"Sorry, I am not interested in the politics.\" The rules governing transfer of power in the secretive communist nation are unclear. Kim Jong Il rules without challenge and has built a cult of personality around himself and his family. He is widely reported to have suffered a stroke in August and has been absent from many public functions in recent months. In April, he named his son Kim Jong Un and brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, to the country's powerful National Defense Commission, suggesting his third son may be his heir. \"I hear that news in the media,\" Kim Jong Nam said. \"I think it's true ... however, it is my father's decision. So once he decides, we have to support him.\" iReport.com: How should the U.S. approach North Korea? There has been speculation that Kim Jong Nam would defect from North Korea and that a purge of his supporters was under way. He told Asahi he saw no reason for leaving his homeland." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kim Jong Nam tells TV Asahi he has no interest in leading North Korea .\nKim Jong Nam is eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il .\nRules of succession in secretive communist state unclear .\nKim Jong Il widely reported to have suffered stroke last year ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- For most people in the world, freedom of religion is of such paramount importance and warrants all the legal and constitutional respect and protection. It is fair to say that this concept has been imbedded in numerous people's mind such that any accusation of its violation almost automatically triggers waves of condemnation. A woman reads a state media newspaper Saturday in Beijing with coverage of Tibet. That may explain why so many people, especially in the West, are so agitated if they conclude that the Tibetan question boils down to freedom of religion, or, even worse, to its violation. However, their agitation will be significantly muted if they are reminded that, while freedom of religion is of paramount importance, it is equally important to keep church and state separate, lest disasters and tragedies ensue. In this light, it is important to be reminded that what those Tibetan diaspora outside of China want to restore is a unique and anachronistic system which mixed church and state into such a lethal institution: clergy and nobles accounting for barely 5 percent of the population ruled over millions of serfs who were dealt with as chattels and animals, with no single iota of human rights. That was not ancient history, that was Tibet barely 50 years ago. Watch a recent history of Tibet » . Anyone in a major Western country advocating freedom of religion to the disregard of separation of church and state will be either marginalized or held with ultra suspicion. If a clergy does so in the United States, his church will lose tax exemption and all the other privileges of a religious institution. Mankind knows too well that mixing church and state together can be a recipe for disasters, especially in a diverse and heterogeneous society. Watch Victor Gao discuss Tibet with CNN » . Therefore, what looks as a matter of freedom of religion to many people in the West is viewed by China more importantly as a matter of separation of church and state. But why such sharp contrasts? Many people in the West eagerly embrace the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader. China would wish His Holiness were indeed nothing but a spiritual leader, otherwise many problems would have been much simpler to resolve. What looks like a spiritual leader to many in the West is viewed by China as less a spiritual leader than a political activist with dangerous political motivations. Watch an online address by the Dalai Lama » . But why such sharp contrasts? It goes without saying that religious differences need to be handled with extra care and sensitivity. Human history has been plagued with wars and conflicts either in the name of religion or in the excuse of religion with ulterior motives. Therefore, whenever religion is touched upon, normally \"your religion for you and my religion for me\" is a good guidance for avoiding calamities. If anyone in the West wants to convert to Tibetan Buddhism and revere the Dalai Lama, or the 14th Dalai Lama to be more accurate, as not only a spiritual leader, but as the reincarnation of all the previous 13 Dalai Lamas and, more amazingly, as the reincarnation of the great God Avalokite Svara, China, rather than having any grudges against him, probably would treat him with all the due respect as a true believer. But China views many Western sympathizers of the Dalai Lama, especially those Western politicians, as having ulterior political motives aimed at infringing upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. But why such sharp contrasts? The Tibetan issue has become a major divider and sensationalizer in the world today. But if reason prevails over passion, the following simple truths may be shocking to learn for those much agitated people: . Therefore, let's avoid mixing apples with oranges, or oranges with apples. Let's avoid any double talk. If one is using \"Free Tibet\" as an expedient alternative for \"Independent Tibet,\" then don't complain about China's wrath at his real motivation. If one is advocating freedom of religion to the disregard of the separation of church and state, then don't complain about being accused by China as a hypocrite. If one is mesmerized by the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader or even the reincarnation of God, he should not accuse China for being cool-headed enough to see through the religious veil which covers major political agendas. For those who warn China that, being in his mid-70s, Dalai Lama's earthly years may be numbered and his eventual passing away may turn Tibetan diaspora and some Tibetans in China into violence and terror, the word of caution is that, now that the whole world is caught in deteriorating financial and economic crisis, any attempt to use violence and terror to further damage global stability and security will be condemned as a public enemy and dealt with as such. It is ludicrous to fancy that any threat of violence or terror will bent the will of China. On the other hand, China needs to continue the dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his followers both at home and abroad, and seek a mutually convenient solution. From China's perspective, the bottom line is loud and clear: if the Dalai Lama is indeed nothing but a spiritual leader, then the solution can be quick and easy; if the Dalai Lama is wearing the spiritual hat for political purposes, then nothing will be easy. As for me, ever since my first trip to Tibet, I have been telling everyone I know that you need to visit Tibet, at least once in your lifetime, because Tibet is so unique, so extraordinary, so magnificent, so holy, that not visiting Tibet may be an eternal loss and regret." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Victor Gao: Important to consider church-state separation on Tibet debate .\nBeijing accuses Dalai Lama of causing conflict, seeking independent Tibet .\nDalai says he seeks autonomy for region, not independence .\nTuesday marks 50th anniversary of failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SARGODA, Pakistan (CNN) -- Mohammed Iqbal said he has been told by his landlord to pay up on debts and is left with a choice facing others in this impoverished corner of Pakistan: Sell your children or a kidney. This man's landlord forced him to pay off money he borrowed for his children's medical bills. For the 50-year-old Iqbal, there is only one option. Despite a law passed in late 2007 banning transplants for money, he has decided to sell his kidney and has already been for pre-operation tests. The sale will net him between $1,100 and $1,600. \"What's incredible here is the law that bans the operation he's going to go through came into place in 2007,\" said CNN's Nic Robertson. \"He's still able to go to a doctor, the doctors given him advice, that's what he has to do under law... He's going to make money out of it 100,000-150,000 rupees, and that is absolutely illegal. Yet, in just a few days, he's expecting to sell his kidney.\" Iqbal was not alone in facing this difficult decision. Others in Pakistan's rural heartland have opted to sell their kidneys. One of them was Rab Nawas, who was deep in debt about a year ago to his landlord after borrowing money to pay for his wedding and to cover medical bills for his wife and six children. He, too, faced the choice: sell his children, his wife or a kidney. See photos of Pakistan's impoverished kidney donors » . \"I am helpless. Should I sell my children? Should I go sell my children? So, it's better I sell my kidney. I had to return the money,\" said Nawas, who now bears a foot-long scar that wraps around from his back to his belly and is too weak to work the same hours he could before. Watch Nawas show his operation scar » . People bearing the tell-tale scar of an organ removal in the villages around the farm where Nawas works are not hard to find. At one point, there were about 2,000 transplants a year -- with 1,500 of them going to what the government said were so-called \"transplant tourists.\" The 2007 law was aimed at ending Pakistan's dubious status as one of the world's leading organ bazaars. Nawas sold his kidney after the law was passed and said the procedure was performed at the Rawalpindi Kidney Center in the northern city of Rawalpindi. When he went to the Rawalpindi center, after CNN asked him to show where the procedure was done, he said a doctor told him they did not have a record of his operation because they destroy such records when a patient leaves. The Rawalpindi clinic -- which prior to the law was a leading user of purchased kidneys -- told CNN that it abides by the law and does not get involved in deals between kidney donors and recipients. \"Standing there it's hard for me to fully understand the courage it took for him to make the journey. In this country, he has few rights, and even less security,\" said CNN's Robertson." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A law passed in late 2007 bans selling organs for money .\nStill, many poor Pakistanis have no choice but to sell their kidneys .\nAt one time, there were about 2,000 transplants a years .\nLaw aims to end Pakistan's status as one of the world's leading organ bazaars ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist Friday after he broke it in a fall, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI arrives at a resort in northern Italy's Val d'Aosta region Monday. He broke his wrist Thursday. The pope left the hospital Friday afternoon and was returning to his summer home in Italy's Val d'Aosta region, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN. Doctors administered local anesthesia and put the pope's wrist in a cast, Lombardi said, adding the procedure was minor. \"There is no particular reason to cause alarm,\" Lombardi said. The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room in Val d'Aosta, a mountainous region of northwestern Italy, the Vatican said. The pope arrived there Monday. The pope \"tripped or slipped in his room,\" Lombardi said. \"It was dark, in the middle of the night. It was not due to dizziness. The fact that the Holy Father waited to go to the hospital shows that it was not serious.\" He was taken to the hospital in the region's central town of Aosta on Friday morning after celebrating his daily private Mass, the Vatican said. Benedict's schedule for the coming days must still be confirmed, but Lombardi said he believed the pope will be able to hold his weekly Sunday Angelus from his summer home this weekend. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pope Benedict XVI briefly hospitalized after breaking wrist in fall .\nThe pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room at mountain retreat .\nHe went to hospital Friday after celebrating his daily private Mass ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The U.S. military is distributing pamphlets in eastern Afghanistan in an effort to find a soldier who has been missing for more than two weeks, the military said Thursday. A soldier mans a weapon at the rear of a U.S. Army helicopter over Afghanistan in May. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for kidnapping the soldier, who has not been identified, along with three Afghan soldiers. All went missing on June 30 in southeastern Afghanistan. The military believes the soldier may have been moved to various locations, including across the border into Pakistan, U.S. military officials said. There are two versions of the pamphlets, which are in the Pashto language and were made available to CNN by U.S. Forces Afghanistan. One shows the image of an American soldier shaking hands in a group of kids with the message, \"One of our American guests is missing. Return the guest to his home. Call us at ...\" and lists a phone number. The other shows a U.S. soldier kicking down a door, and then an outstretched hand with the superimposed image of a soldier, his head and arms drooping, and the words, \"If you do not release the U.S. soldier then ... you will be hunted,\" Capt. Elizabeth Mathias, a U.S. military spokeswoman, said Thursday. Soldiers have posted and handed out the pamphlets across Ghazni and Paktia provinces over the past 24 hours, Mathias said. Days after the soldier went missing, a senior U.S. military official said, he and the three missing Afghan soldiers were captured by low-level militants and then quickly \"sold\" to the clan and network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani, who is believed to be deeply involved in the action. The Haqqani clan operates on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border and is well known to the U.S. military. The soldier apparently left his small outpost on his own on June 30 with no apparent means of defending himself, the official said. Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said the U.S. soldier visited a military post in the Yousaf Khel district in Paktika province, got drunk, and was ambushed while returning to his car. Sangeen said the soldier was taken to a safe place. Paktika and Paktia provinces are adjacent. CNN could not independently verify Sangeen's claims. A source with the U.S. military denied the claim that the soldier was drunk. \"The Taliban are known for lying, and what they are claiming [is] not true,\" the source said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Taliban says it kidnapped U.S. soldier, who has not been identified .\nSoldier, with 3 Afghan soldiers, went missing June 30 in southeastern Afghanistan .\nPamphlets come in two versions: One has an appeal, the other has a warning .\nSoldier apparently left outpost on his own with no means of defending himself ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Fight police misconduct with a cell phone, the NAACP says. The century-old civil rights organization has launched an online reporting system that lets users upload cell phone images of alleged police abuses. The Rapid Report System also lets users send text messages and e-mails about alleged misconduct. \"We know that most of police officers around the nation are excellent public servants. But the few who violate people's rights are often not held accountable,\" said Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP. \"Research has shown that there are many barriers to reporting incidents of police misconduct, including intimidation at police departments and a lack of trust in the integrity of the system, among other reasons. This breakdown leads to an absence of public safety and a deterioration of the quality of life in many communities of color.\" The NAACP unveiled the online system Monday at its national convention in New York City. Users can post images from their cell phones or online. Cell phone footage has repeatedly helped spotlight alleged police misconduct in recent years. The fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Oakland, California, on New Year's Day made headlines and spread across the Internet partly because of cell phone video. The killing sparked large protests in Oakland and led to a murder charge against the transit officer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NAACP unveils new program to allow people to report alleged police misconduct .\nTexts, e-mails can also be sent to document alleged police misdeeds .\nUnarmed California man's shooting captured on phone garnered national attention ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Comedian Joan Rivers and real estate mogul Donald Trump -- that's a twosome never known for mincing their words. Joan Rivers appeared on CNN's \"Larry King Live\" Monday night and explained her explosive confrontations. Trump selected Rivers as this season's winner of \"The Celebrity Apprentice,\" and they appeared on \"Larry King Live\" Monday night, full of their classic candor. Among the topics covered: Rivers' long-running war of words with runner-up Annie Duke, her dust-up and make-up with Clint Black and the \"reason\" she is against same-sex marriage. And the Donald explains why Rivers had what it took to emerge the winner. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: . Larry King: Donald, was it a tough decision? Donald Trump: Well, it was. Joan fully understands it was a very, very tight race. And Annie [Duke] was terrific and Joan was terrific. In the end, I decided to go with Joan. She displayed tremendous courage. She really took a lot of abuse over the course of 14 weeks. King: Joan, in last night's finale, you beat poker champion Annie Duke. You and Annie were still at each other up until the final moments. Let's take a look. [King shows a video clip from \"The Celebrity Apprentice\"] . Annie Duke: I do not know a boardroom in this country where someone would be allowed to say that someone would spit on the ground and drown their mother in it, where someone would be allowed to call their friends Mafia, where someone would be allowed to say that someone is worse than Hitler. If that happened in a real office... Joan Rivers: You're not worse than Hitler ... Duke: ...in a real boardroom. Rivers: Hitler never had PMS. Duke: This is what I'm saying. If it happened in a real boardroom, she would have to be fired or that would be actionable. Rivers: ... I have run a business for 20 years honorably. I have never fired anybody. I am the Number One jewelry business on television, with honor. [End of video clip] . King: Oh, boy. Rivers: Yes, oh boy. Trump: And, Larry, that was the nice part. Watch Larry King's interview with Rivers and Trump » . King: Joanny, where did you come up with that 'worse than Hitler' crack? Rivers: Oh, I don't know. You know, you're always saying things. Hitler is the worst villain in the world. So when you really get furious at someone, you say, 'Oh, you're a female Hitler' or something, you know? It's just an expression. But I stand behind it. King: What did she do to you? Rivers: She was very duplicitous ... there was so much mud-slinging, which I'm not going to go into. I was told she said she wished I would die; she said I was a cancer. King: What did you make of that squabble, Donald? Trump: Well, I liked it very much. ... Especially this morning, when the ratings came in, because it was a ratings bonanza last night for NBC. King: What does Joanny get now? Trump: She got $250,000 plus she raised hundreds of thousands more during the course of the 14 weeks. But she gets $250,000. That goes to God's Love We Deliver, which is a great charity in New York. King: What surprised you about this contest? Trump: Well, I was just impressed with the intelligence, with the energy and verve that Joan had. I mean, Joan's energy was beyond everybody else's. And she wasn't necessarily the youngest person on the panel. King: Joan, what surprised you about this experience? Rivers: How it became so much more than a television game or a show. It became absolutely something I wanted to do. It was like I was going to win for my charity. King: What got you so emotionally involved, not just with Annie, other contestants? Rivers: Larry, I play totally full-out. And you get very worn down. It's all these weeks and weeks of getting up at 5:30 in the morning, working until 11:00 at night, no assistants to help you. You're out there on the firing line. And, you know, the differences arise and show very quickly. You know who's good, you know who's bad, you know who's a liar, you know who's lazy, you know who's brilliant, you know who's a good worker. And after a while, you just play -- it becomes \"Lord of the Flies.\" King: Joan, by the way, written a Web exclusive for us about her \"Celebrity Apprentice\" win. Click here for Joan Rivers' blog, exclusively on CNN.com . King: Do you think you'll ever make up with Annie? Rivers: Well, I went over afterward; I went over to congratulate her, and I made her stand up. ... Nobody lost last night, for God's sake. No one heard of Annie Duke before this show. Now everyone's heard of her. Her charity made $700,000. ... And what did upset me was on the way out, her whole group gave us the finger and booed. And I thought that was .. not good. Not good. King: Why does this get so dramatic? Rivers: Because it's \"Lord of the Flies.\" You have no sleep. King: Weren't you and Clint Black kind of mad at each other for a while and now it's OK? Rivers: Oh, yes. Clint is a chauvinist. My joke is now he wouldn't even let his wife have Equal in her coffee. You know, that's Clint. But Clint is Clint. You get very angry at him, but at least you know that's Clint. You know what's going to be dealt to you. King: What did you learn from doing this? Rivers: So many people in this country are counted out from the age of 60. When I walked in, I looked them all over, I thought: 'I can take you all with one behind my back at 75.' King: Did you expect to win? Rivers: Truly, no. Donald plays it so close and so intelligently. I did not know until they called out her name. I really thought they were going to say, Joan you're wonderful, but you're too emotional and blah, blah, blah. And Annie raised so much money -- which, indeed, she did. I was in shock and thrilled. Rivers: Can I say one thing quickly? King: Quick. Rivers: Gay marriage, I am so against it because all my gay friends are out. And if they get married, it will cost me a fortune in gifts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Joan Rivers infuriated \"Apprentice\" rival Annie Duke over comparison to Hitler .\nDonald Trump says he loved the confrontations -- and the ratings that followed .\nRivers says experience of being on \"Apprentice\" is like \"Lord of the Flies\"\nShe jokes Clint Black is so chauvinist he wouldn't let his wife have Equal in her coffee ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The defense secretary will not ban smoking by troops in war zones despite a recommendation to do so by a Pentagon-commissioned study. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he does not want to compound stress in combat zones by banning smoking. Secretary Robert Gates' decision stems from concern about the stress troops face, said his spokesman. \"We are fighting two wars right now, using a force that we are demanding more of than we ever have before. They are under enormous stress and strain, and the secretary does not want to compound that stress by taking away from them one of the few outlets they have to relieve that stress,\" Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Wednesday. A new study commissioned by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs recommends a complete ban on tobacco, which would end tobacco sales on military bases and prohibit smoking by anyone in uniform -- including combat troops in the thick of battle. According to the study, tobacco use impairs military readiness in the short term. Over the long term, it can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. The study also says smokeless tobacco use can lead to oral and pancreatic cancer. Morrell said that Gates has not seen the report and will consider the recommendations to move towards a goal of a smoke-free military. \"There may be things we can do to try to move towards that goal. But he has been very clear to me, up front, that one of the things he is not prepared to do is to restrict the use of tobacco products in combat zones,\" Morrell said. Anti-smoking activist Richard Daynard said Gates' decision was logical. But he predicted that, as smoking is banned on military bases outside combat zones, \"then the problem over time will resolve itself, even in combat zones.\" The founder of the Tobacco Products Liability Project likened the situation to that which prevailed during the 1980s, when smoking aboard U.S. commercial airlines was banned. \"There was an exception for the cockpit, at least on some airlines, on the theory that you probably don't want your pilot, if he's hooked on nicotine, to be cold-turkey while he's trying to navigate your plane.\" But, he said, the exception has been phased out. CNN's Adam Levine and Tom Watkins contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "No ban despite recommendation to do so in Pentagon-commissioned study .\nSpokesman: Secretary does not want to take away outlet to relieve stress .\nStudy recommend banning tobacco sales on bases, prohibit smoking in uniform ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Entertainment Weekly) -- In the enchantingly original and romantic (500) Days of Summer, Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is a girl -- capricious, alluring, and not entirely knowable -- and Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is the greeting-card writer who convinces himself that she's \"better than the girl of my dreams.\" Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel fall in love -- for a time -- in \"(500) Days of Summer.\" Five hundred days is the duration of their relationship, but the movie presents those days out of order, as an impish romantic flipbook, so that we keep skipping forward and back -- from, say, day 8 to day 154. Most romantic comedies have half a dozen situations at best: Meet Cute, Infatuation, Pop Song Montage, Contrived Mix-Up, Angry Breakup, and Final Clinch. \"(500) Days of Summer\" is about the many unclassifiable moments in between. Director Marc Webb, working from Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber's witty script, stages each scene as a vivid snapshot memory, and his sense of play is boundless. The film leaps in a heartbeat from the furtive glances (and shared fixation on the Smiths) that ignite an office love affair to a rooftop-party reconciliation that plays out, via split screen, in two simultaneous versions (how the hero wants it to be and how it happens) to a morning-after-the-first-sex saunter that evolves, with joyful hilarity, into a musical number scored to \"You Make My Dreams.\" This has to be the first movie ever to give equal props to Morrissey and Hall & Oates. \"(500) Days\" is like a mood ring cued to the ups, downs, and confusions of modern love. It's a Gen-Y \"Annie Hall\" made by a new-style Wes Anderson who uses his cleverness for humanity instead of postmodern superiority. None of it would work, though, without such lived-in performances. Deschanel makes the lovely, sensuous Summer just precocious enough to know what she wants without coming out and saying it, and Gordon-Levitt, with his junior Springsteenian chin jut, lets you read every glimmer of hope, pain, lust, and befuddlement beneath his nervy facade. It's a feat of star acting, and it helps make \"(500) Days\" not just bitter or sweet but everything in between. EW Grade: A . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"(500) Days of Summer\" is absolutely wonderful, says EW .\nFilm is about an 18-month relationship, but avoids pitfalls of formula .\nJoseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are outstanding ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ramin Ostadhosseini needed to vent, and this gathering seemed the place to do it. Teens at Camp Ayandeh learn how to blend their parents' history and culture with their contemporary lifestyles. \"I get Raymond, Roman and sometimes Ramen noodles,\" he told the circle, describing how non-Iranians butcher his name. This group felt his pain. Here, sprawled out on a manicured lawn at Emory University were dozens of youths attending a weeklong summer camp designed to generate discussion on what it means to be Iranian-American. Like many attending Camp Ayandeh -- or \"future\" in Farsi -- Ramin has parents who were born in Tehran and immigrated to the United States after the Iranian revolution in 1979. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, six years after the revolution, Ramin grew up with two distinct and, at times conflicting, influences: the American side that met him at school and the Iranian one that greeted him at home. It's a first-generation story as old as the United States. It's so common that Ayandeh counselors said the camp was created three years ago to address both Iranian and American parts of a new generation of Iranian-American youth -- a community they define as being \"hyphenated.\" Watch campers learn how to accept their backgrounds » . \"We're really becoming mindful of how we define things,\" said Natasha Sallahi, a first-time counselor and aspiring filmmaker. \"We realize that sometimes one word doesn't cover it all. So we're trying to create better definitions ... by putting two things [Iranian-American] together.\" Camp Ayandeh is sponsored annually by Iranian Alliances Across Borders, a largely volunteer organization funded by individual donors and PARSA, a California-based philanthropic organization. First established on Thompson Island off eastern Massachusetts, Ayandeh began its gradual migration south the second year -- setting up at a campgrounds near Fairfax, Virginia. Iranian-American teens from high schools across the nation now flock to the new Georgia address to learn about their heritage and ask questions that range from relationships and college admissions to sexual orientation and discrimination -- issues that can come with distinctly different social parameters than their parents were once accustomed to in Iran. Camp counselor Siavash Samei remembers such angst all too well. \"There was not a single person that I could look at and say, 'He is me,' \" Samei said, describing an absence of elder Iranian-American role models. \" 'He is what I can do. He can snap and he can dance. And at the same time, he can talk English without an accent.' \" After two years as a camper, Samei returned this summer as counselor to help answer many of the same questions that plagued him a few years earlier. The typical adolescent anxieties and struggles were mixed with another layer of cultural confusion. \"As a high school student, I had a horrible time,\" he said. \"One day I would come into school very dressed up thinking, 'I'm looking Iranian.' One day I would be wearing the baggy pants and dressed completely American. And I had no clue which one was right.\" According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 400,000 Iranian-Americans live in the United States. The largest wave of Iranian immigrants came to the U.S. immediately following the ouster of the Shah of Iran and the Islamic-led revolution in 1979. Nearly three decades later, a new generation of Iranian-American youths are struggling to define themselves in these \"hyphenated\" communities. Bobak Moazami, a 17-year-old kid from Manhattan's Upper West Side, said he likes to think of himself equally as part of both communities. \"I eat American food for lunch,\" he said. \"Every day at school I have a grilled chicken sandwich. Then I come home and have chelo kabob or qormeh-sabzi.\" For many of these students, traditional Iranian dishes such as qormeh-sabzi -- a stew of herbs and beef or lamb -- are a part of a heritage that at one time could only be preserved by their families. But with campers rediscovering pride in their cultural heritage, these teens are learning how to blend their parents' history and culture with their contemporary lifestyles. Put simply, why not appreciate the old-world beats of the tonbak alongside the edgy lyrics of Kanye West? At Camp Ayandeh, games of \"vasati,\" or Iranian dodgeball, and Iranian dancing sessions are scheduled next to public speaking and college prep workshops. And the campers bring their bicultural experiences back home. \"I read about American literature in the morning [at school],\" Moazami said. \"We talk about great English poets like Shakespeare and Lord Byron, and then I come home and experience another set of great [Iranian] poets such as Hafez and Saadi.\" Nava Behnam, a 17-year-old who's attended the camp twice, has a story that started out slightly different from most of those at Ayandeh. Unlike many of the American-born campers, Behnam immigrated to the United States at 5 after being born in Tehran. She has experienced little in the way of Iranian culture and tradition outside her home in Rockville, Maryland. \"I was never really surrounded by it too much,\" she said. \"Or if I was, it was Persian gatherings with my parents where I'd sit in the back and be bored and have nothing to do.\" Twelve years after arriving in the U.S., Behnam is part of a loyal following that returns to Camp Ayandeh each year. \"I come here to find my roots and to come to terms with where I belong and where I come from,\" she said. After going to Camp Ayandeh, Behnam said she now has \"an appreciation for Persian culture and our customs,\" even though she still describes herself as \"just another teenage girl going to high school in America.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Camp Ayandeh helps Iranian-American youth come to terms with both cultures .\nIranian Alliances Across Borders sponsors summer camp .\nNearly 400,000 Iranian-Americans live in the U.S., Census Bureau says .\nTeen at camp says she has learned \"an appreciation for Persian culture\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Somalia's interim prime minister said Thursday that he has spoken to one of two French hostages seized earlier this week by gunmen who stormed their hotel in Mogadishu. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said the government will hold Hizbul Islam responsible for the safety of both men. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke told a news conference at the presidential palace in the Somali capital that the hostage said he was in good health and is being treated well. Sharmarke said three low-level security officials have been arrested for their involvement in the kidnapping. The Somali government is negotiating the release of the hostages, who are being held by Islamist militants, he added. The two French nationals -- who have not been identified -- were abducted Tuesday when a group of about 10 armed men raided the hotel where they were staying. The French Foreign Ministry said the two were on an official mission to help the Somali government with security. The ministry has not divulged any details of its efforts to release the hostages, saying only that it is \"mobilized.\" The two advisers had apparently told the hotel they were journalists, something that the media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders has criticized. \"We hope these two advisers are freed quickly, but we are shocked that they were passing themselves off as journalists,\" Reporters Without Borders said. \"They were on an official mission and had no need of cover. Their behavior endangers journalists in a region where media personnel are already in danger.\" Sharmarke said the two hostages were kidnapped by the militant group Hizbul Islam but later were transferred to Al-Shabaab. Both Islamic insurgencies are trying to topple the current Somali government. Eyewitnesses said a group of gunmen stormed into the Sahafi hotel, which is frequented by foreigners, and took the two blindfolded and bound hostages on foot toward Mogadishu's Bakara market, a stronghold for Islamist insurgents fighting against the Somali government. The Somali prime minister said that the government will hold Hizbul Islam responsible for the safety of both men. He did not say if any demands had been made for the hostages' release. Hizbul Islam is led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, a bitter rival of Somalia's transitional president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The two men once shared leadership of the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, which opposed the presence of Ethiopian forces in Somalia. The alliance split because the two leaders disagreed over whether to use force to oust the Ethiopian forces. Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabaab have continued their fight in Somalia despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces earlier this year. The United Nations had hoped that the withdrawal of the Ethiopians and the election of Ahmed -- an Islamist -- to the post of transitional president would help quell the insurgency in Somalia. The Islamist insurgency is led by Al-Shabaab -- an al Qaeda-linked group that is on the United States' terror list. It wants to overthrow Somalia's weak, transitional government and implement a radical version of sharia, or Islamic law. Fighting in Somalia's capital city has displaced 200,000 Mogadishu residents since early May, according to the United Nations. Journalist Mohamed Amin Adow contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke reported hostage said he was in good health .\nTwo French nationals abducted Tuesday by gunmen from their hotel .\nSharmarke said they were kidnapped by militant group Hizbul Islam .\nThe two advisers had apparently told the hotel they were journalists ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A former engineer for Rockwell International and Boeing was convicted Thursday of economic espionage and acting as an agent of China, authorities said. A Delta IV rocket launches on March 10, 2003 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dongfan \"Greg\" Chung, 73, was accused of stealing restricted technology and Boeing trade secrets, including information related to the space shuttle program and the Delta IV rocket. U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney convicted him on charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage; six counts of economic espionage to benefit a foreign country; one count of acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China; and one count of making false statements to the FBI, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Carney presided over Chung's three-week bench trial last month. In a bench trial, there is no jury and the judge decides whether to convict a defendant after hearing testimony. Chung was free on bond after his arrest by FBI agents and NASA investigators in February 2008. He was taken into custody after Carney's ruling was read. Chung, a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen, was employed by Rockwell International from 1973 until Boeing acquired its defense and space unit in 1996, and by Boeing thereafter. He retired from Boeing in 2002, but returned as a contractor, a position he held until September 2006, prosecutors said. Chung held a \"secret\" security clearance, authorities said. \"For years, Mr. Chung stole critical trade secrets from Boeing relating to the space shuttle and the Delta IV rocket -- all for the benefit of the government of China,\" said David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security, in the prosecutors' statement. \"Today's verdict should serve as a warning to others willing to compromise America's economic and national security to assist foreign governments.\" The case against Chung resulted from an investigation into another engineer who obtained information for China. That engineer, Chi Mak, and several of his relatives were convicted of providing defense articles to the PRC, authorities said. Mak was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison last year. According to evidence presented at trial, individuals in the Chinese aviation industry began sending tasks to Chung via letter as early as 1979, federal prosecutors said. Over the years, the letters directed Chung to collect data related to the space shuttle and various military and civilian aircraft. In his letters back to China, Chung referenced materials he had already sent, including 24 manuals relating to the B-1 bomber, which Rockwell had forbidden for distribution outside the company and federal agencies. In addition, between 1985 and 2003, Chung traveled to China several times and met with government officials. His contacts in China discussed these trips in letters and recommended methods of passing information, authorities said. In a 2006 search of Chung's home, FBI and NASA agents found more than 250,000 pages of documents from Boeing, Rockwell and other defense contractors in the house and in its crawl space, prosecutors said. They included \"scores of binders containing decades' worth of stress analysis reports, test results and design information for the space shuttle.\" Each economic espionage charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, authorities said. The charge of acting as an agent for a foreign government carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and making false statements to federal investigators each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Chung is set for sentencing November 9." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dongfan Chung, 73, convicted of economic espionage; acting as agent of china .\nAccused of stealing restricted technology, Boeing trade secrets .\nTechnology included information on space shuttle; Delta IV rocket .\nChung is a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- A federal judge ordered 10 municipal police officers arrested Saturday in connection with the slayings of 12 off-duty federal agents in southwestern Mexico, the attorney general's office said. The recent spate of violence was sparked by the arrest of high-ranking drug cartel member Arnoldo Rueda Medina. The federal officers' bodies were found Tuesday on a remote highway in Michoacan state, where at least 18 federal agents and two soldiers have been killed since July 11 due to drug-related violence. Video from the scene showed three signs, known as narcomensajes, or narcomessages, left by the killers. They all stated the same thing: \"So that you come for another. We will be waiting for you here.\" The officers arrested Saturday are on the police force in the city of Arteaga. Mexican President Felipe Calderon, whose home state is Michoacan, responded to the violence by dispatching 1,000 federal police officers to the area. The infusion, which more than tripled the number of federal police officers patrolling Michoacan, angered Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy Rangel. He called it an occupation and said he had not been consulted. Authorities said Wednesday they were searching for the governor's half-brother, who they say is a top-ranking member of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel. The cartel is blamed for most of the recent violence in the state. The governor's brother, Julio Cesar Godoy Toscano, was elected July 5 to the lower house of Congress. The governor has publicly urged his brother to surrender. There were no reports of his apprehension as of late Saturday. The sudden spike in violence followed the arrest July 11 of Arnoldo Rueda Medina, described as a high-ranking member of La Familia. La Familia members attacked the federal police station in Morelia to try to gain freedom for Rueda shortly after his arrest, authorities said. When that failed, cartel members attacked federal police installations in at least a half-dozen Michoacan cities. Under Mexican law, the officers arrested Saturday will be held for 40 days while officials determine whether to formally charge them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Officers arrested Saturday are on the police force in the city of Arteaga .\nSlain agents were found Tuesday on a remote highway in Michoacan state .\nGovernor calls infusion of federal agents in Michoacan an occupation .\nGovernor's half-brother, said to be key figure in drug cartel, still at large ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Alternative treatments are as varied as the regions of the world they come from. And while they attract skepticism from some Western medical practitioners, they are an undeniable part of global health. Shark cartilage is a popular dish in Japan where it is regarded as having health benefits. In parts of Asia and Africa, 80 percent of the population depend on these treatments as their primary form of healthcare. Shark fin has long been used in traditional Asian medicine. Shark fin soup is regarded as a tonic that promotes general well-being, and shark fin has even been claimed to have anti-cancer properties. Shark fins are mainly composed of cartilage, a type of connective tissue found in the skeletal systems of many animals. In Japan, they are sold by herbalists as a powder, in tablet form or as whole fins. While shark fin has been used for centuries in Asia, in recent years it has become more popular in the West. A book called \"Sharks Don't Get Cancer,\" published in 1992, popularized the idea of shark fin as an alternative cancer treatment in the West, and powdered shark fin is now sold as dietary supplement. But scientific evidence doesn't support the idea. A 2000 report by researchers at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington D.C. said more than 40 tumors had been documented in sharks, skates and rays. Clinical studies on cancer patients, including a 1998 study by the Independent Cancer Treatment Research Foundation in Illinois, haven't shown cartilage powders to have any anti-cancer benefits. Cancer Research UK, an independent cancer-research organization, states \"We don't recommend alternative therapies such as shark cartilage, as there is no scientific or medical evidence to back up the claims made for these 'treatments'.\" The use of shark fins has also been criticized by environmentalists who say the practice is threatening shark populations. In addition, environmental groups say that fins are often cut off live sharks at sea, with the bodies thrown back in the sea to drown, a controversial practiced know as \"finning.\" The ancient art of herbal healing also remains highly popular in Africa. In South Africa, the name given to the practice is muti. In Johannesburg's Faraday market muti practitioners sell wares that are popular with locals and tourists alike. Illnesses are diagnosed by \"sangomas,\" who employ techniques including communicating with the spirits of ancestors. \"Sangomas\" then refer their patients to \"inyangas,\" who supply muti treatments. \"Inyangas\" make use of South Africa's diverse flora and fauna, selling treatments made from herbs and animal parts. Roots, bark and leaves are all used to prepare infusions that are said to cure ailments ranging from headaches to skin rashes. Other muti medicines deal with psychological conditions, curing nightmares, bringing good luck and warding off evil spells. Acupuncture is one of the most widespread of all traditional treatments. An ancient Chinese healing technique thought to date back at least 2,000 years, acupuncture is now widely practiced alongside modern medicine in the East and West alike. Traditional acupuncture works on the idea that energy, known as \"qi,\" flows along pathways in the body, called meridians. According to acupuncture theory, if these meridians become blocked, \"qi\" cannot flow freely and illness can result. Diagnosis of ailments is carried out by, among other things, feeling a patient's pulse and inspecting their tongue. Marian Rose of the British Acupuncture Council told CNN that an important part of the diagnosis process involves asking patients a range of questions about their well-being, including their digestion, sleep patterns, and health history. Treatment involves inserting fine acupuncture needles at critical points in the body in order to stimulate the flow of \"qi,\" described by Rose as \"the body's motivating energy.\" Traditionally, acupuncture can be used to treat headaches, chronic pain, asthma, depression, addiction, and problems with the digestive system. Acupuncture has been the subject of extensive research and in the West the practice has been studied in terms of modern medical knowledge. Dr Mike Cummings is the medical director of the British Medical Acupuncture Association, which promotes Western medical acupuncture. He told CNN that research has shown acupuncture to be effective at treating pain in particular. Cummings says that it is believed that when an acupuncture needle is inserted into a muscle, it stimulates nerves. That affects the spinal gate, where sensory input is modulated, reducing activity in pain pathways. Whether backed by medical science or simply by years of use, traditional treatments remain popular and as more research is carried out, some may even come to complement modern medicine." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Even in the era of modern medicine, traditional treatments are still widespread .\nIn Japan, shark fin is sold by herbalists, and is believed to promote well-being .\nMuti practitioners sell their wares in Johannesburg's Faraday market .\nAcupuncture has spread all over the world from its roots in ancient China ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: LZ Granderson is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, and has contributed to ESPN's Sports Center, Outside the Lines and First Take. He is the 2009 Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) award winner for online journalism and the 2008 National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) winner for column writing. LZ Granderson says criticism of President Obama by the gay community has gone too far. (CNN) -- Far from flowing rainbow flags, the sound of Lady Gaga and, quite honestly, white people, stands a nightclub just outside of Wicker Park in Chicago, Illinois, by the name of The Prop House. The line to get in usually stretches down the block, and unlike many of the clubs in Boystown and Andersonville, this one plays hip-hop and caters to men who may or may not openly identify as gay, but without question are black and proud. And a good number of them are tired of hearing how the gay community is disappointed in President Obama, because they are not. In recent weeks, one would have thought the nation's first black president was also the nation's biggest homophobe. Everyone from Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black and radio personality Rachel Maddow to Joe Solmonese, the president of Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest gay advocacy group, seem to be blasting Obama for everything from \"don't ask don't tell\" to Adam Lambert not winning American Idol. In their minds, Obama is not moving fast enough on behalf of the GLBT community. The outcry is not completely without merit -- the Justice Department's unnerving brief on the Defense of Marriage Act immediately comes to mind. I was upset by some of the statements, but not surprised. (After the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, President Ronald Reagan's initial handling of AIDS and, more recently, Katrina, there is little that surprises me when it comes to the government and the treatment of its people.) Still, rarely has criticism regarding Obama and the GLBT community come from the kind of person you would find standing in line at a spot like The Prop House, and there's a reason for that. Despite the catchiness of the slogan, gay is not the new black. Black is still black. And if any group should know this, it's the gay community. Bars such as The Prop House, or Bulldogs in Atlanta, Georgia, exist because a large number of gay blacks -- particularly those who date other blacks, and live in the black community -- do not feel a part of the larger gay movement. There are Gay Pride celebrations, and then there are Black Gay Prides. There's a popular bar in the heart of the nation's capital that might as well rename itself Antebellum, because all of the white patrons tend to stay upstairs and the black patrons are on the first floor. Last year at the annual Human Rights Campaign national fundraiser in Washington, D.C. -- an event that lasted more than three hours -- the only black person to make it on stage was the entertainment. When Proposition 8 passed in California, white gays were quick to blame the black community despite blacks making up less than 10 percent of total voters and whites being close to 60 percent. At protest rallies that followed, some gay blacks reported they were even hit with racial epithets by angry white participants. Not to split hairs, but for most blacks, the n-word trumps the f-word. So while the white mouthpiece of the gay community shakes an angry finger at intolerance and bigotry in their blogs and on television, blacks and other minorities see the dirty laundry. They see the hypocrisy of publicly rallying in the name of unity but then privately living in segregated pockets. And then there is the history. The 40th anniversary of Stonewall dominated Gay Pride celebrations around the country, and while that is certainly a significant moment that should be recognized, 40 years is nothing compared with the 400 blood-soaked years black people have been through in this country. There are stories some blacks lived through, stories others were told by their parents and stories that never had a chance to be told. While those who were at Stonewall talk about the fear of being arrested by police, 40 years ago, blacks talked about the fear of dying at the hands of police and not having their bodies found or murder investigated. The 13th Amendment was signed in 1865, and it wasn't until 1948 that President Harry S Truman desegregated the military. That's more than an 80-year gap. Not to be flip, but Miley Cyrus is older than Bill Clinton's \"don't ask, don't tell.\" That doesn't mean that the safety of gay people should be trivialized or that Obama should not be held accountable for the promises he made on the campaign trail. But to call this month's first-ever White House reception for GLBT leaders \"too little too late\" is akin to a petulant child throwing a tantrum because he wants to eat his dessert before dinner. This is one of the main reasons why so many blacks bristle at the comparison of the two movements -- everybody wants to sing the blues, nobody wants to live them. This lack of perspective is only going to alienate a black community that is still very proud of Obama and is hypersensitive about any criticism of him, especially given he's been in office barely six months. If blacks are less accepting of gays than other racial groups -- and that is certainly debatable -- then the parade of gay people calling Obama a \"disappointment\" on television is counterproductive in gaining acceptance, to say the least. And the fact that the loudest critics are mostly white doesn't help matters either. Hearing that race matters in the gay community may not be comforting to hear, but that doesn't make it any less true. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "LZ Granderson: Blacks tired of hearing about gays' disappointment in Obama .\nHe says black gays strongly support first African-American president .\nHe says gay rights movement is not comparable to the civil rights struggle .\nGranderson: Gay movement has to overcome its own racial issues ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Once he roamed the streets, moving from shelter to shelter. Now, Oliver Gomes rubs shoulders with Washington's elite. Oliver Gomes says working in the halls of Congress gave him the motivation and money to get off the streets. Squatting next to a white wall outside a Senate hearing room recently with a cell phone glued to his ear, Gomes is being paid to hold a place in line for a lobbyist at a hearing on the climate-change bill. Gomes -- 6 feet tall, with long curly hair pulled back, wearing a polo shirt and shorts -- is one of the contracted men and women holding places in line for this hearing. Many have been waiting since midnight to ensure their clients a seat. By 9 a.m., more than 100 people are lined up for the hearing. Only 10 seats are available to the public, and the first 10 spots are held by line-standers. The rest are shut out. Though the practice is controversial, Gomes said it has lifted him from life on the street. \"Sitting in the halls of Congress made me feel a little better,\" he said. \"It elevated me and made me feel like, well, you know, maybe I do belong here, maybe I can contribute even at that little minute level.\" Watch Gomes tell his story » . As the need for couriers on Capitol Hill declined with e-mail and fax, courier services like Quick Messenger Service of DC, Inc. have added the service of contracting men and women to hold places in line for lobbyists at hearings. The seats are valuable to lobbyists because the hearing is often their only face time with legislators. For big hearings with limited availability, line-standers may wait 20 to 30 hours. They're paid anywhere from $11 to $35 an hour. Gomes was living in a shelter when he started line-standing. He said working in the halls of Congress gave him the motivation and money he needed to get off the streets. He now makes extra money by recruiting men for the line-standing services from the homeless shelters where he used to stay. \"When I was down and out and I was on the Hill and I had that little bit of hope that while I was actually here, it gave me the incentive to dress a little better, more professional,\" Gomes said. Many of the contracted line-standers are homeless or formerly homeless like Gomes. Williams Howard Johnson Jr., one of Gomes' recruits, found his bright yellow button-down shirt, green patterned tie, and slacks at a donation center because he wanted to dress well for his job. \"That comes from being a part of something that's really meaningful to not only me but to society,\" Johnson said. Johnson was among those who had been in line since midnight for the 10 a.m. climate-change bill hearing, but he said he was happy to be there. \"I'm a part of something today and I'm very happy about that,\" Johnson said. Although Johnson and Gomes are glad to have a job and a feeling of importance on Capitol Hill, many people are opposed to the practice of hiring line-standers. Kalen Pruss, a fellow at the Internet environmental group avaaz.org, and her group of cheering green T-shirted environmentalists were shut out of the hearing. \"It's very unfortunate that the people who come here to line-stand always beat us here cause they can stand here all night,\" Pruss said. John Winslow, director of linestanding.com, said the committees might be creating the lines by limiting the number of seats for the public in the hearing rooms. At this hearing, some of his clients that paid for line-standers to wait at midnight were not able to get into the hearing. \"It's really a question of logistics, how many people does the committee want to service,\" Winslow said. \"And it seems like overwhelmingly they try to limit the number of people who attend these hearings and that just drives up demand artificially.\" Critics see the practice as just another way lobbyists are buying influence on Capitol Hill. In 2007, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri introduced legislation to ban the practice of line-standing. \"I have no problem with lobbyists being in hearings, but they shouldn't be able to buy a seat,\" McCaskill said. \"It seems to me that if we are going to make sure lobbyists aren't buying meals for senators, and we are going to make sure lobbyists aren't buying elected officials gifts, then we ought to make sure they aren't buying seating at a public hearing.\" Maria Foscarinis, an advocate for the homeless, thinks it's ironic that some of the most powerful people in the country are using some of the most vulnerable to hold a place in line for them. \"They're likely to be standing in line for people who well may be opposed to universal health care that would be a benefit for poor and homeless people,\" Foscarinis said. \"And yet they may be standing there for the purpose of access for the interests that are opposed to their own.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Contracted line-holders stand for hours to ensure their clients get seats .\nSeats at hearings often only chance for lobbyists to get face time with legislators .\nLine-standers, some homeless, are paid anywhere from $11 to $35 an hour .\nCritics see practice as another way lobbyists are buying influence on Capitol Hill ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A hearing to consider who will raise Michael Jackson's three children has been delayed another week, while lawyers work to avoid a court battle over custody. Debbie Rowe said she married Michael Jackson to avoid the taboo of having childrien out of wedlock. The delay -- the third one this month -- was announced Friday afternoon by a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman. Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children, has not publicly revealed whether she will challenge Katherine Jackson, his 79-year-old mother, for custody or visitation rights. Katherine Jackson gained temporary guardianship of her son's children soon after his death last month. The two women have been working to \"privately and amicably resolve\" the matter since Jackson's death, a Jackson family lawyer said. Rowe's lawyer said this week that she was not asking the Jackson family for more money in exchange for dropping a possible custody challenge. A close friend of Rowe said she has been grieving Jackson's death -- grief made more painful by paparazzi hounding her and media reports vilifying Rowe by depicting her as a heartless woman who would trade her kids for cash. \"Debbie's a very caring, wonderful, warm person,\" said Marc Schaffel, who met first met Rowe when he worked for Jackson. \"She's a very humble person. People, you know, don't give her credit that she was a friend of Michael's for over 30 years.\" Jackson and Rowe met when she was working as a nursing assistant in the Beverly Hills office of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Rowe said in a 2003 interview, later obtained by ABC News, that she became closer to Jackson in 1996 when she consoled him after his brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley ended. \"He was upset because he really wanted to be a dad,\" Rowe said. \"I said, 'So, be a dad.' He looked at me puzzled. That is when I looked at him and said. 'Let me do this. I want to do this. You have been so good to me. You are such a great friend. Please let me do this. You need to be a dad, and I want you to be.'\" She told the interviewer they married in 1996 only to \"prevent some of the taboo of a child out of wedlock.\" While Schaffel would not say if their relationship was sexual, he said Rowe had \"a true, true love there for Michael.\" Their first child, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., was born in February 1997. A daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, was born the next year. Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation. The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got a $8.5 million settlement, according to court documents. Jackson later agreed to additional support. Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001, but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children. A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated, opening the door to a possible custody battle. Rowe claimed in the 2003 interview that she still had \"some influence\" over how Jackson raised the children, citing his practice of covering their faces in public as her idea. \"That was my request, not his,\" she said. \"I am the one who's terrified. I am the one who's seen the notes that someone's going to take his children,\" she said. She said the children don't call her \"mom\" because she did not want them to. \"It's not that they're not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father,\" she said. Rowe, 50, lives on a farm in Palmdale, California, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, where she breeds horses and dogs. \"She spends time with all of her horses and her dogs,\" Schaffel said. \"If one of her horses is sick, Debbie will stay up all night long caring for them. She'll sleep on the floor in the barn with a horse if he's not well. \"Debbie doesn't run out to all of the social events,\" he said. \"You don't see her shopping on Rodeo Drive. She's not hitting the hot spots. She's not trying to be in the limelight. Debbie is just as happy at home in her very modest, humble, horse ranch.\" When Hollywood's paparazzi surrounded her outside a restaurant near her ranch earlier this month, she showed flashes of anger and frustration. \"Are you ready to fight for your kids?\" a photographer repeatedly shouted. \"Are you ready to get your butt kicked?\" she replied, as she walked through the swarm. Schaffel said Rowe wants privacy and she's \"just trying to go on with her life.\" \"She doesn't react well with the paparazzi,\" he said. Rowe's lawyers have stepped up their efforts to bolster her public image by firing off warning letters and demanding retractions when they see reports they think are wrong. One letter sent Tuesday demanded the New York Post retract its report that Rowe had agreed to drop her custody claims for $4 million. \"Ms. Rowe has not accepted -- and will not accept -- any additional financial consideration beyond the spousal support she and Michael Jackson personally agreed to several years ago,\" Eric George said in the letter. \"Among the several contenders for overzealous and inaccurate sensationalism, the New York Post has now seized top honors,\" George wrote to the paper. \"It would be easier to identify those few background facts that are accurate than to catalog the number of blatant falsehoods in your story.\" \"The Post stands by its story,\" New York Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan told CNN. Rowe also filed a lawsuit this week against a woman who claimed in a TV interview to have e-mails from Rowe saying she didn't really want to raise the children. The suit asked that Rowe be given any money paid to the woman for the interview. CNN's Kay Jones contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lawyers for Katherine Jackson and Debbie Rowe working to avoid court battle .\nRowe's friend says vilification in the press exacerbating grief over Jackson's death .\nJackson and Rowe met when she was a nursing assistant for his dermatologist .\nShe told ABC in 2003 that she wanted to help Jackson become a dad ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New Haven, Connecticut, firefighter Frank Ricci, the lead plaintiff in perhaps the most controversial case involving Judge Sonia Sotomayor, said Thursday that Sotomayor's rejection of his reverse discrimination claim had undermined the concept of a merit-based civil service system. New Haven firefighter Frank Ricci sued after the city threw out results of a 2003 firefighter promotion exam. Ricci was one of a group of 20 mostly white firefighters who sued the city of New Haven after it threw out the results of a 2003 firefighter promotion exam because almost no minorities qualified for promotions. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, including Sotomayor, backed the city in the 2008 case Ricci v. DeStefano. The ruling of the Circuit Court was overturned in June by a 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The \"belief that citizens should be reduced to racial statistics is flawed,\" Ricci told the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. \"It only divides people who don't wish to be divided along racial lines. The very reason we have civil service rules is to root out politics, discrimination and nepotism. Our case demonstrates that these ills will exist if the rules of merit and the law are not followed.\" Watch firefighters testify » . Ricci also criticized Sotomayor's 2nd Circuit for disposing of the case in an \"unsigned, unpublished summary order that consisted of a single paragraph.\" Sotomayor was not present when Ricci spoke. She left the session after concluding her remarks earlier Thursday. Sotomayor argued before committee members Tuesday that her ruling in the Ricci case was decided on the basis of \"a very thorough, 78-page decision by the district court\" and followed an established precedent. \"This was not a quota case or (an) affirmative action case,\" she said. The case was a challenge to a firefighter test that had a wide range of difference between the pass and failure rate of different groups. The city of New Haven, she noted, was at risk of being sued by employees who could show they were \"disparately impacted\" by the test. New Haven city officials, after a number of days of hearings, decided they wouldn't certify the test but would instead attempt to develop a test of equal value in measuring a candidate's qualifications without having a disparate impact, she said. The question before the 2nd Circuit, Sotomayor said, was whether the city's decision was based on race or its understanding of what the law required it to do. The Circuit Court ruled that it was based on the latter. Based on established legal precedent, the 2nd Circuit decided that the city's decision was proper under established law. The Supreme Court, however, applied a new standard, she said, based on a different area of law. If she were ruling on that case today, she said, she would be bound by the new standards set by the Supreme Court. Ricci was one of several witnesses who testified both for and against Sotomayor. Linda Chavez, head of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity, which opposes affirmative action, argued that \"it is clear\" from Sotomayor's record \"that she has drunk deep from the well of identity politics.\" It is impossible for Sotomayor to be a fair judge when she has \"shown a willingness to let her policy preferences guide her,\" Chavez said. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel testified on Sotomayor's behalf, arguing that her opinion in the Ricci case was, in fact, an example of judicial restraint. It followed a string of legal precedents dating back almost three decades, he said. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also testified in favor of Sotomayor, telling committee members that she is an \"independent jurist\" with a \"sharp and agile mind\" who would bring \"a wealth of unique experience\" to the high court." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Frank Ricci one of 20 firefighters who claimed reverse discrimination in promotions .\nPlaintiff: Decision undermined concept of a merit-based civil service system .\nSotomayor: Ruling was based on \"a very thorough\" decision by the district court .\nNew York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, others spoke in favor of judge's confirmation ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "OXFORD, England (CNN) -- You might expect Oxford and Cambridge universities to ask prospective students to compare the works of Chaucer to Boccaccio or to explain the theory of relativity. Cambridge students may have to field questions in the application process that would baffle some observers. Instead, Oxford wants to know: \"Would you rather be a novel or a poem?\" Cambridge asks applicants: \"What would you do if you were a magpie?\" The idea, say administrators at the two ultra-prestigious schools in England, is to see how well prospective students can think, not just how much they know. \"What we're trying to do is move students out of their comfort zone,\" said Mike Nicholson, Oxford University admissions director. \"Many students will have a body of knowledge, and they may be expected to be trusted on that in the interview. What we want to do is take them beyond that point and get them to start thinking for themselves.\" See examples of the application questions » . In the United Kingdom, 90 percent of students are educated at state schools. But 53 percent of Oxford University's students come from state schools. That seems to indicate that wealthier students who can afford private schools have an advantage. Tutoring company Oxbridge Applications -- founded by Oxford graduates in 1999 -- says 68 percent of the 35,000 clients it has helped are state-funded students. It costs $300 for a day of mock interviews or $1,500 for a full weekend course. Oxbridge says 47 percent of its clients get into one of the elite colleges. The overall success rate for all applicants to the two schools -- commonly referred to as Oxbridge -- is 24 percent, the tutoring company says. \"At Oxbridge Applications, we have a network of 500 former tutors and former admissions tutors as well,\" said company founder James Uffindell. \"And we take the people that have been there and done it and help supply that information back to the people that want to go there.\" Still, some of the questions seem a bit odd to the casual observer. Watch people on the street react to some brainteasers » . \"It's totally out there really,\" said one passer-by interviewed on the street. \"Are they on drugs, these people in Cambridge?\" Some of the questions seem downright sinister: \"How would you poison someone without the police finding out?\" Cambridge asks. Others are perhaps downright practical: \"Instead of politicians, why don't we let the managers of Ikea run the country?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Oxford asks prospective students: \"Would you rather be a novel or a poem?\"\nCambridge asks applicants: \"What would you do if you were a magpie?\"\nAdministrators at prestigious schools say object is to get students to think .\nObserver on the street describes questions as \"totally out there really\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A Maryland man believed to have shot and stabbed his wife and three young children to death before killing himself with a shotgun was having money problems and left a note saying he suffered from \"psychological issues,\" authorities said. Five people, including three young children, were found dead in this house in Middletown, Maryland. Christopher Wood, 34, may have slashed at least some of his family members in the killings and used a small-caliber handgun on others, Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins said. He was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted shotgun wound at the foot of the bed where the bodies of his wife and 2-year-old daughter lay, the sheriff said. Wood's sons were 5 and 4 years old, authorities said. His wife, Francie Billotti Wood, was 33. The boys were found in their beds in a single bedroom, the sheriff said. Authorities did not release the names of the children. \"These are horrific incidents,\" said Jenkins, who said he couldn't remember another homicide in the past 20 years in Middletown, a one-stoplight town northwest of Baltimore. \"No one should ever have to be exposed to this.\" Jenkins told CNN that at least five notes apparently handwritten by Wood were found inside the home. While the notes didn't immediately tell investigators what prompted the killings, they did provide some insight into possible problems. \"There is some indication in at least one of the notes that there might have been some psychological issues with Mr. Wood,\" Jenkins said. There was \"a mention of some medication\" in that note, according to the sheriff. Jenkins said the sheriff's office had no record of domestic violence or other family disputes at the Wood's home. He said investigators also have learned of money problems for Wood, a salesman for CSX Railroad. \"We are aware there were some, maybe, debt problems -- some financial problems,\" Jenkins said. Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said deputies went to the home shortly after 9 a.m. after Mrs. Wood's father called. Her family had not seen the Woods for about a day and her father forced his way into the locked home, finding the bodies, according to Jenkins. Authorities said a shotgun was found next to Christopher Wood's body and a .25-caliber handgun was found in a \"container\" in the kitchen. The sheriff said other weapons that could have been used to stab and cut the victims were found, but he did not say what those weapons were. Watch sheriff's department's statement » . Francie Wood's family were longtime residents of the Middletown area. Her brother had recently retired from a career as a sheriff's deputy, Jenkins said. The family had moved to town from Florida about four months ago. \"We're all in shock,\" said the Rev. Kevin Farmer, the family's minister at Holy Family Catholic Church. \"This was a family, though they hadn't been with us very long, they are an integral part of our community.\" Watch views from the crime scene » . He said the road the Woods lived on is a shortcut to the church and he would often see the children while riding a scooter he uses when the weather is good. \"They would always stop and wave and get big eyes as the scooter came by,\" he said. \"They were very happy kids.\" Jenkins said autopsies will be performed on the bodies over the next few days and that it could be weeks before the results are ready to be released. Jenkins told CNN that at least five notes apparently handwritten by Wood were found inside the home. While the notes didn't immediately tell investigators what prompted the killings, they did provide some insight into possible problems, the sheriff said. \"There is some indication in at least one of the notes that there might have been some psychological issues with Mr. Wood,\" Jenkins said. Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said deputies went to the home shortly after 9 a.m. after Mrs. Wood's father called. The family had not been seen for several days, Bailey said. Authorities said several weapons, including a shotgun, were found inside the home. Christopher Wood had been an employee of CSX Railroad, Jenkins said. He said the sheriff's office had no record of domestic violence or other family disputes at the Woods' home. \"In my entire career, just about 20 years, this is probably the worst tragedy I've ever been a part of or ever seen in Frederick County,\" Jenkins said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Note indicated father was having \"psychological issues,\" sheriff says .\nNEW: Investigators say they've learned Christopher Wood also had money problems .\nSheriff: Man apparently killed his wife and three young children, then shot himself .\nSlain mother's family were longtime residents of the Middletown, Maryland, area ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- It doesn't matter that they can be feverishly hot. Or that crowds make for long food lines or the tickets may be hard to come by. Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding performed at this year's New Orleans Jazz Fest. Music festivals worldwide attract thousands of fans wanting to hear their favorite artists live or discover under-the-radar musicians. Each major festival has its own special twist, specific to the event and city that hosts it. From the notorious mud baths at Glastonbury, England, to the breath-taking mountains surrounding Fuji Rock in Naeba, Japan, these are events that festival-goers wait for all year. Experience the New Orleans Jazz Fest » . Our guide prepares music fans worldwide for the best festivals this summer and later in the year. GLASTONBURY, Somerset, England June 24-28 ($255) Glastonbury has been around since dairy farmer Michael Eavis first held a free two-day festival on his farm in 1970, and it's long been the festival in England for seeing the biggest and best bands in the world. It also may be the muddiest -- heavy rain in several years, most notably 1997, turned Glastonbury into a muddy bog. Everyone from Radiohead to Jay-Z has headlined the festival, and with more than 700 acts each year, there is something for everybody. Some of the proceeds from the festival go to Oxfam and Greenpeace. This year's headliners include Franz Ferdinand, Blur, and Bruce Springsteen. ROCK AL PARQUE, Bogota, Colombia June 27-29 (free) The Rock al Parque festival, launched in 1995, has become South America's biggest rockfest in recent years -- some 320,000 people traveled to Simon Bolivar Park in 2006 for a weekend of Colombia's top rock bands and renowned international headliners. Funded by Colombia's culture secretary, the free festival has included some of rock's biggest names, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Manu Chao, and Bloc Party. In the days leading up to Rock al Parque, the festival organizers host a series of panel discussions on music production, management, and the recording industry. ROSKILDE, Denmark July 2-5 ($220) Since 1971, the rock festival in Roskilde has hosted the top names in music, from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan. It is the biggest summer festival in northern Europe, and the \"Arena\" stage boasts a 17,000-capacity tent, the largest in Europe. The festival has a daily newspaper and a 24-hour live radio station and is also home to the annual \"Naked Run,\" where the first naked person to cross the finish line receives a free ticket for next year's festival. Some 80,000 will travel to Roskilde to see headliners including Coldplay, Oasis and Nine Inch Nails. EXIT, Novi Sad, Serbia July 9-12 ($105) Created in 2000 by three university students as a protest against former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, the electro-focused festival in the heart of Serbia was named Europe's best festival in 2007 by fans voting in the UK Festival Awards. Over 200,000 people attended Exit last year, dancing at all-night raves in the gorgeous surroundings of Petrovaradin Fortress, an 18th-century castle near the Danube River. Some of techno's biggest names will be on hand to celebrate Exit's 10-year anniversary, including Moby, Kraftwerk, and The Prodigy. THISDAY, Abuja/Lagos, Nigeria Dates tba . The THISDAY festival in Nigeria -- launched in 2006 by the editor-in-chief of Thisday newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery -- is the biggest music and fashion festival in Africa. According to Obaigbena, the festival is meant to highlight the positive progress being made in Africa, and find sustainable solutions for the continent's problems. The theme of last year's festival was \"Africa Rising,\" and it showcased some of the world's best-known artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Usher. Stay tuned for this year's lineup. FUJI ROCK, Naeba, Japan July 24-26 ($410) Japan's biggest outdoor festival takes its name from Mt. Fuji, the site of the first festival in 1997. Fuji Rock has been set amongst the cool forested mountains of the Naeba ski resort for the past ten years -- gondolas and hilly trails transport people from stage to stage, and the streams and forests between them are the reason why Fuji Rock has been called the most beautiful festival in the world. It's not just about the scenery, though -- over 100,000 people will trek through the mountains to see headliners Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Weezer. LOLLAPALOOZA, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. August 7-9 ($190) Rocker Perry Farrell began Lollapalooza in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band, Jane's Addiction. The biggest grunge rock festival during the '90s disappeared for awhile around the turn of the century, but it was revived in 2005 as a more traditional \"big weekend\" destination festival in Chicago. The past few years at Grant Park have been marked by hot summers, huge crowds, and even bigger bands. The anticipated crowd of nearly 200,000 is staggering, as are this year's headliners: Kings of Leon, Tool, Depeche Mode, and Beastie Boys, just to name a few. BESTIVAL, Isle of Wight, England September 11-13 ($205) The trendy Bestival, the original boutique weekend festival on the Isle of Wight, is the best way to end the summer festival season in Europe. Bestival boasts a yearly fancy dress competition -- last year's was \"30,000 freaks under the sea,\" and 2009 is the year of \"Outer Space,\" so make sure to dress accordingly. Thousands of Bestival-goers will witness an eclectic lineup including Lily Allen, Massive Attack, and MGMT in the picturesque surroundings of Robin Hill Park. For family fun, look no further than Camp Bestival, a three-day family festival at a castle by the sea in July. PARKLIFE, Australia Late September-Early October . The Parklife series of one-day music festivals kicks off the summer festival season across Australia. The dance-focused fests have featured heavyweights Justice, MIA, and Muscles over the past two years. The day-long festivals are followed by an official \"After Life\" party that runs until the early hours of the morning, so be prepared for a long one if you're one of the estimated 100,000 people attending a Parklife gig in one of several cities across Australia at the end of September. WOODSTOCK, Johannesburg, South Africa November 27-30 When people think of Woodstock, South Africa isn't necessarily what comes to mind. But for the past decade, the festival has been the biggest youth music event in that country, hosting a variety of both well-known and upcoming mainstream and hip-hop acts -- not to mention a variety of extreme sports stunt acts, paintballing, and flea-market stalls. Woodstock may not have the star power of the legendary American festival -- but with the wide range of music and outdoor activities it presents, its promoters aren't lying when they say that boredom simply isn't an option. SUNBURN, Goa, India December . Sunburn Festival launched in December 2007 as South Asia's first electronic music festival, and featured heavyweights like Carl Cox and John 00 Fleming. Located seaside in Goa, on India's west coast, the festival has its roots in \"Goa Trance,\" a type of pulsing, transcendental electro music that became popular in the early 1990s. Sunburn again treated more than 5,000 electro revelers to a three-day party by the beach in December 2008. The festival's founder has said Sunburn will always be free to attend, and it is not to be missed if you happen to be in India in December." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "CNN has put together a list of some of the best upcoming music festivals .\nYou can dress to kill at England's Bestival's fancy dress competition .\nEnjoy the music, comedians and silent disco at Bonnaroo in Tennessee .\nDance all weekend in the shadows of a 300-year-old Serbian castle ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Chinese authorities were explicit: Tear down the nation's first sex-themed amusement park before it gets going full steam. Visitors catch a glimpse of Love Land, billed as China's first-ever sex theme park, in southwest China. Love Land had not opened its doors yet, but authorities in the city of Chongqing -- a sprawling metropolis on the banks of the Yangtze River -- got all hot and bothered over the park's plans to display naked human sculptures, giant replica genitals and a photo gallery on the history of sex, the state-run China Daily reported. Lu Xiaoqing, park manager, told the newspaper he got the idea for building Love Land after a visit to a sex park in Jeju, a popular destination in South Korea. Love Land would include sex-technique workshops and sex education to help adults \"enjoy a harmonious sex life,\" Lu said. \"Sex is a taboo subject in China, but people really need to have more access to information about it,\" he told the newspaper. \"We are building the park for the good of the public.\" Whatever Lu's intentions, the newspaper said Chinese officials saw it another way: \"vulgar, ill-minded and misleading.\" The park was to open in October but was demolished over the weekend -- thongs, replicas of derrieres and all. Reactions posted on the Internet were varied, according to the China Daily. Some thought sex was best left behind closed doors, while others argued that a real need for sex education existed in China. \"Sex is a matter of privacy. It is not for publicity,\" said Xia Xueluan, a sociology professor at Beijing University. The officials in Chongquing apparently agreed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Love Land was to display giant replica genitals and photo gallery on history of sex .\nThe park was to include sex-technique workshops and sex education .\nReactions posted on the Internet were varied, according to the China Daily ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Questions surrounding Judge Sonia Sotomayor's past speeches generated more controversy in the final day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings Thursday, as Democrats again called her a mainstream jurist and Republicans portrayed her as a liberal activist likely to legislate from the bench. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor greets Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, Thursday. One GOP senator said Sotomayor's most controversial speeches \"bug the hell out of me,\" an expression of frustration as Republicans tried -- with little success -- to get Sotomayor to reveal more about her personal views in her fourth and final day of questioning. GOP critics also summoned New Haven, Connecticut, firefighter Frank Ricci, who was the lead plaintiff in perhaps the most controversial case in Sotomayor's appellate career. Ricci testified that her 2008 rejection of his reverse discrimination claim had undermined the concept of a merit-based civil service system. In a potential sign of Sotomayor's strong political momentum, however, Senate Republicans indicated they do not intend to filibuster her nomination on the Senate floor. They also indicated their belief that the full Senate would vote on her nomination before breaking for its August recess. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said he plans to put a confirmation vote for Sotomayor on the committee's calendar for next Tuesday. The committee's questions once again touched on a range of hot-button issues, including gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, the death penalty, and the role of international law in American jurisprudence. \"I think you're a walking, talking example of the best part of the United States of America,\" Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, told Sotomayor. \"It is my belief that you are going to be a great Supreme Court justice.\" South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham was less complimentary, telling Sotomayor that she has \"said some things that have bugged the hell out of me,\" but he quickly conceded that her judicial record has \"been generally in the mainstream.\" \"Your speeches are disturbing, particularly to conservatives,\" Graham said. \"Those speeches to me suggested gender and racial affiliations in a way that a lot of us wonder, will you take that line of thinking to the Supreme Court in these cases of first precedent.\" But, Graham conceded, \"to be honest with you, your record as a judge has not been radical by any means. ... You have, I think, consistently, as an advocate, took a point of view that was left of center.\" Graham defended the importance of probing Sotomayor's political beliefs by highlighting the high court's 1955 landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which mandated the desegregation of schools. The ruling was \"instructive in the sense that the court pushed the country to do something politicians were not brave enough to do,\" he said. Watch Graham talk about Sotomayor's record » . The personal views of Supreme Court justices matter, he argued, because \"you're not going to find a law book that tells you\" how to rule on contentious social issues such as same-sex marriage or whether there is a \"fundamental\" right to bear arms. Sotomayor later fired back at the Republican line of questioning, asking Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, if he wanted a judge who pre-decided cases before hearing the evidence and facts. Watch Sotomayor's record on discrimination » . \"Would you want a judge or nominee who came in here and said, 'I agree with you, this is unconstitutional,' before I had a case before me?\" Sotomayor said, adding: \"I don't think that's a justice I can be.\" She noted that the Supreme Court spends considerable time on cases, including Second Amendment cases involving gun control -- an issue Republicans have repeatedly emphasized during her confirmation hearings. The National Rifle Association, unswayed by Sotomayor's assertion earlier in the week that she recognizes an individual right to bear arms, announced Thursday that it is opposed to her nomination. \"We believe any individual who does not agree that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right and who does not respect our God-given right of self-defense should not serve on any court, much less the highest court in the land,\" said a joint statement by Wayne LaPierre, the NRA executive vice president, and Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Reform. Sotomayor repeatedly said she recognizes an individual right to firearms in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in the 2007 case District of Columbia v. Heller. The high court in that instance ruled that a sweeping handgun ban in the nation's capital violated the constitutional right to \"keep and bear arms.\" Sotomayor refused to say, however, whether she believed the right is \"fundamental,\" which in legal terms refers to whether a federal statute applies to the states. On gun control, as in other issues, Sotomayor repeated that the Constitution and facts of the case would be the basis of her rulings. The highly charged issue of affirmative action surfaced most prominently later in the day, when Frank Ricci testified before the committee. Ricci was one of a group of 20 mostly white firefighters who sued the city of New Haven after the city threw out the results of a 2003 firefighter promotion exam because almost no minorities qualified for promotions. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals -- including Sotomayor -- backed the city in the 2008 case Ricci v. DeStefano. The ruling of the Circuit Court was overturned in June by a 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The \"belief that citizens should be reduced to racial statistics is flawed,\" Ricci told the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. \"It only divides people who don't wish to be divided along racial lines. The very reason we have civil service rules is to root out politics, discrimination, and nepotism. Our case demonstrates that these ills will exist if the rules of merit and the law are not followed.\" Ricci also criticized the 2nd Circuit for disposing \"of our case in an unsigned, unpublished summary order that consisted of a single paragraph.\" Sotomayor was not present when Ricci spoke. She told committee members earlier in the week, however, that her ruling in the Ricci case was decided on the basis of \"a very thorough, 78-page decision by the district court\" and followed a firmly established precedent. Watch Ricci testify at hearings » . The Supreme Court applied a new standard, she claimed, based on a different area of law. If she were ruling on that case today, she said, she would be bound by the new standards set by the Supreme Court. Ricci was one of a long list of witnesses who testified both for and against Sotomayor. Linda Chavez, head of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity, which opposes affirmative action, argued that \"it is clear\" from Sotomayor's record \"that she has drunk deep from the well of identity politics.\" It is impossible for Sotomayor to be a fair judge, Chavez claimed, when she has \"shown a willingness to let her policy preferences guide her.\" Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel testified on Sotomayor's behalf, arguing that her opinion in the Ricci was case, in fact, an example of judicial restraint. It followed a string of legal precedents, he claimed, dating back almost three decades. FBI Director Louis Freeh and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also testified in favor of Sotomayor. Bloomberg told committee members that she is an \"independent jurist\" with \"sharp and agile mind\" who would bring \"a wealth of unique experience\" to the high court. Committee Republicans, unswayed by such assertions, once again examined Sotomayor's controversial statement that a \"wise Latina\" could reach a better decision than a white man. Asked what she would say to people offended by her remarks, Sotomayor said that she regrets that she has \"offended some people. I believe that my life demonstrates that that was not my intent to leave the impression that some have taken from my words.\" Sotomayor was also asked to explain her remarks from a 2001 speech in which she said she agreed that \"there is no objective stance but only a series of perspectives -- no neutrality, no escape from choice in judging.\" She told the committee that, in every case, the two opposing parties view the facts from vastly different perspectives. \"You can't just throw up your hands and say I'm not going to rule,\" she said. There is a choice in judging, which means \"you have to rule.\" CNN's Dana Bash and Peter Hamby contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Senate wraps up Sotomayor's confirmation hearings .\nChief plaintiff in Ricci case testifies during final day of confirmation hearings .\nRepublicans fail to get nominee to reveal more about her personal views .\nGOP Sen. Lindsey Graham says Sonia Sotomayor's judicial record \"mainstream\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The chairman of Tennessee's Democratic Party wants a Republican legislative aide fired for sending out a \"reprehensible\" e-mail depicting President Obama as two cartoonish white eyes peering from a black background. Sherri Goforth, a Tennessee state senator's aide, said she mistakenly sent the image \"to the wrong list of people.\" Obama's image is in the last square of a collage containing portraits of the previous 43 U.S. presidents. The e-mail, which was sent to other GOP staff members, was posted on the Internet Monday. Sherri Goforth, an administrative assistant to state Sen. Diane Black, R-Gallatin, has admitted she sent the e-mail May 28 with the title \"Historical Keepsake Photo.\" She said, without elaborating, that she mistakenly sent it \"to the wrong list of people.\" According to the Tennessean, a Nashville newspaper, a note on the e-mail said it was paid for by the Tennessee Republican Party, but GOP officials denied they produced it. Black leads the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus. There was no comment from the White House as of Tuesday afternoon. Black rebuked Goforth but didn't dismiss her. \"I want to be sure that everyone understands that the communication was sent without my knowledge,\" Black said Tuesday afternoon. \"It absolutely does not represent the beliefs or opinions of my office. I want to be very clear about that.\" The senator said as soon as she found out about the e-mail, she consulted the Legislature's human resources office, then followed their advice. \"Ms. Goforth did get a verbal reprimand as well as a very strongly worded reprimand, written, that was put in her file that if this should ever occur again, that she would be terminated,\" Black said. Watch Sen. Black discuss her response » . \"This is an employee who has had a stellar record,\" Black said. She added that Goforth has worked in state government for more than 20 years, and has had a clean record. \"We followed policy. And that's what you do when someone breaks the rules, you follow policy,\" she said. A phone message left for Goforth by CNN was not answered. \"Is this indicative of what Senate Republicans think about our commander-in-chief?\" asked state Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester in a statement posted on the party's Web site. \"I am calling on Sen. Black to reject this racist smear and fire this staffer who, on state government time, on state government computers, using a state government e-mail account, launched this bigoted attack on our president,\" Forrester said. \"Keeping her on the staff would send the message that this type of behavior is condoned by the Senate Republican Caucus.\" \"This e-mail is reprehensible, insults the office of the president, and is embarrassing to all Tennesseans regardless of political party,\" Forrester said. Goforth told Christian Grantham of the Web site Nashville Is Talking that she had received a letter of reprimand from her superiors but will remain on the job. Grantham said Goforth told him she felt \"very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list\" of people. \"I inadvertently hit the wrong button,\" Grantham quoted Goforth as saying. \"I'm very sick about it, and it's one of those things I can't change or take back.\" Forrester, in his Web posting, said, \"Ms. Goforth does not seem to understand what she did wrong. She has apologized for 'sending [the e-mail] to the wrong list of people.' I believe that any list of people would have recognized this e-mail as offensive and hateful.\" State Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, a member of the black and Democratic caucuses, said Goforth should be dismissed. \"I don't think a reprimand is enough. I think this lady needs to go. I don't think she should be a part of the people who represent the state of Tennessee,\" Shaw said. He said Goforth and Black, as well as Republican Lt. Gov. and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, should make public apologies for the incident. \"I am appalled. It's despicable. It's disgusting. It should not have happened, but it does happen,\" Shaw said. \"It is the president of our country that we're talking about.\" Several other black Democratic lawmakers agreed Goforth should quit. \"The last thing we need in the state of Tennessee is to send out the impression and the image that we are still stuck in some backwater mentality and culture that feels it's OK to depict the president of the United States in that fashion,\" state Rep. John Deberry Jr., D-Memphis, told CNN Radio. Forrester added: \"Unfortunately, Sherri Goforth's e-mail joins the list of shameful episodes by Tennessee Republicans, from the infamous 'Birds of a Feather' direct-mail piece that featured black crows with the heads of Barack Obama and [African-American] Rep. Nathan Vaughn, to the \"Barack the Magic Negro\" song that former Tennessee GOP Party Chairman Chip Saltsman sent to RNC members during his failed campaign for RNC chair.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "E-mail shows U.S. presidents; Obama depicted as white eyes on black background .\nIt was sent by aide to Diane Black, head of Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus .\nAide says she sent it to \"the wrong list of people;\" Black says she won't be fired .\nTennessee Democrats call the e-mail \"racist smear,\" call for aide to be fired ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- \"A gruesome scene\" is how one investigator described the aftermath of five killings in Tennessee. A sixth body was found in Alabama. Police gather outside one of the scenes of mutliple slayings in Fayetteville, Tennessee, on Saturday. Kristin Helm of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told CNN on Saturday that authorities have Jacob Shafer in custody in connection with the deaths. She added that authorities are not looking for additional suspects. Huntsville, Alabama, Police Sgt. Mickey Allen said Tennessee authorities told him a man confessed to a slaying in Huntsville, Alabama, and to five other killings in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Allen didn't identify the man. Shafer has been questioned by the TBI and is expected to face murder charges, Helm said. Sheriff Murray Blackwelder, who held an afternoon news conference, called the slayings \"one of the worst crimes Lincoln County has ever seen.\" He didn't describe how the Lincoln County, Tennessee, victims died. Dr. Bruce Levy, medical examiner for Tennessee, was working to identify the bodies found in that state, Helm said. Fayetteville police responded to a call to South Lincoln Road about 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET), Blackwelder said. Police found three crime scenes and five bodies on that street, he said. The five victims, some of whom were related, were found in two homes, Helm said. Investigators think the killings occurred either Friday night or early Saturday, she said. The sixth body was found at a business in Huntsville, Sheriff Allen said. He said he is unsure of the connection between the crime scenes in Tennessee and Alabama. Huntsville is about 30 miles from Fayetteville. \"We have no clue yet as to what unfolded there and how it relates to here,\" Allen said. CNN's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Man taken in custody by Tennessee authorities in six slayings .\nNEW: Suspect identified as Jacob Lee Shafer, who faces murder charges, TBI says .\nNEW: Authorities say an undientified man has confessed to the killings .\nFive bodies were found at two homes in Tennessee; one victim in Alabama ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- \"Guiding Light\" will go dark in September after 72 years and 16,000 episodes, CBS announced Wednesday. Gina Tognoni is one of many performers who have appeared on \"Guiding Light\" over the years. The daytime soap opera's declining viewership led to the decision, according to a CBS spokeswoman. The show, which the Guinness Book of World Records lists as the longest-running television drama, first aired on NBC radio in 1937 as a 15-minute serial, the spokeswoman said. It moved to television on the CBS network in 1952. The last episode is set to air on September 18, she said. The show is produced in New York." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Guiding Light\" originally was radio serial on NBC, debuted in 1937 .\nShow moved to CBS, which put it on TV in 1952 .\nLast episode of show to air September 18 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- London commuters crammed onto buses, scrambled for taxis, cycled or simply walked on Wednesday as a strike by Tube workers shut down most of the subway network. Commuters queue for packed buses in London on Wednesday morning. The strike began Tuesday at 7 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) but the first full effects were felt during Wednesday's morning commute. The strike was set to last for 48 hours with a normal service resuming Friday morning, according to Transport for London (TfL), which runs the city's transportation network. The RMT trade union called the strike after talks with management over pay, job cuts, and disciplinary issues broke down. \"RMT doesn't resort to industrial action lightly,\" General Secretary Bob Crow said in a statement. \"The fact is that Tube workers have been driven into walking out today.\" Transport Commissioner Peter Hardy said the talks had been making progress on all issues and he urged the RMT to return to the table. \"The RMT leadership says we were close to a deal,\" Hardy said in a statement. \"If that is the case, then they should call off the strike, return to talks ... and resolve this issue without any more disruption to Londoners.\" TfL was running extra buses and free shuttle services across the River Thames during the strike. Electronic travel cards used for the TfL network were temporarily being allowed on all train lines in greater London, it said. While most services on the Tube were shut because of the strike, one line -- the Northern line -- was running normally and five others were running on a reduced schedule, TfL said. \"It's been really good,\" a girl on Oxford Street told CNN about her commute. \"The Northern line is running perfectly.\" Still, some bus services were packed with commuters who normally ride the underground trains or who failed to find a taxi. \"I think we'd all like to strike for more money, but unfortunately we can't,\" said one woman at Oxford Circus, where the Tube is closed. Others hit the pavement and walked. \"It's OK -- quite refreshing,\" said a man on Regent Street. He said he had just walked from Liverpool Street Station, a train station as well as a Tube stop that is more than 2.5 miles away. The RMT represents about half of the 20,000 employees on the Tube, a TfL spokeswoman said. Other unions including Unite and TSSA represent the rest, she said, and were not on strike." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "London transport system crippled as Tube workers go on strike .\nNormal service not due to resume until Friday morning .\nBuses crammed with commuters; many chose to cycle, walk to work .\nRMT trade union called strike in dispute over pay, job cuts, disciplinary issues ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN Student News) -- June 1, 2009 . Quick Guide . A Look Back - Take a drive back in time as another American icon's wheels come off. Cybersecurity Concerns - Plug into the reasons why President Obama has cybersecurity concerns. Reusable Lessons - Step onto the campus of a school that's a model of sustainability. Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Carl Azuz and this is CNN Student News! It is the first day of June and our last week before summer break. Thank you very much for joining us. First Up: A Look Back . AZUZ: First up, a major move for the country's largest automaker as General Motors is expected to file for bankruptcy today. This comes one month after Chrysler, another of the so-called \"Big Three\" U.S. car companies, did the very same thing. Under the terms of General Motors' bankruptcy, the company will be reorganized and essentially taken over by the government. Thirty years ago, GM made up more than 40 percent of U.S. auto sales. Today, that number is 19 percent. The company's reported more than $90 billion in losses since 2005. As the bankruptcy process begins, Christine Romans looks back at the history of GM and the American car. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Henry Ford started at the beginning of the last century with four wheels and a running board; 1908 was the birth of American car culture. That same year, General Motors was formed in Flint, Michigan. It wasn't until 1925 when the \"Big Three\" was complete with the formation of Chrysler Corporation. JOHN DAVIS, HOST, MOTORWEEK: When the Big Three emerged, they not only emerged as rivals that really gave Americans much better automobiles at the time, but they also cemented the American automobile as a world standard. ROMANS: \"As goes General Motors, so goes the nation.\" That phrase defined America's economic power for much of the last century. PETER MORICI, ECONOMIST, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: So many folks were either employed at General Motors or the other two major car makers, making steel and all the other components that go into cars. It just meant that if the automobile companies were prospering, the country was prospering, too. ROMANS: Today, there are 74,000 rank-and-file GM workers in the U.S. But in its heyday, GM was the largest industrial company in the world; a technology leader. By 1979, 600,000 people worked for GM. Those good jobs helped build America's middle class. DAVIS: It also allowed us to migrate out from the cities to have the quarter lot in a suburb, to basically get away from a lot of the congestion of the metropolitan areas. ROMANS: General Moters was the company that revolutionized what we drove, how we thought about our cars, and how we paid for them. GM invented auto loans and the model year. It was the first to hire designers instead of engineers to create new car concepts; think big fins and chrome of the 1950s and 60s. And everything changed. Ford adopted flashy fins with the Ford Fairlane, as did Chrysler with the popular Desoto. Automobiles from the Big Three put their stamp on popular culture, from music to movies to television. What's considered to be the first rock and roll song ever recorded was \"Rocket 88\" by Ike Turner, about a GM product. The Pontiac GTO, considered by many to be the first true muscle car, was showcased in a song by Ronnie and the Daytonas. RONNIE AND THE DAYTONAS, \"LITTLE GTO\": Little GTO, you really.... ROMANS: The Corvette on Route 66. The 1948 Ford in the iconic movie \"Grease.\" FROM \"GREASE\": Go grease lighting, go grease lighting... ROMANS: The TransAm in Smokey and the Bandit, and Archie Bunker's Old La Salle. CARROLL O'CONNOR AND JEAN STAPLETON, \"ALL IN THE FAMILY\": Gee, our Old La Salle ran great. Those were the days... (END VIDEO CLIP) Shoutout . GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Schultz's civics classes at David Brearley Middle School in Kenilworth, New Jersey. Where did the word \"cyberspace\" first appear? Was it in a: A)Movie, B) Book, C) Scientific paper or D) Magazine article? You've got three seconds -- GO! Author William Gibson is credited with creating the word in a science fiction novel. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Cybersecurity Concerns . AZUZ: It may have started as science fiction, but these days, practically all of us, including the government, spend time in cyberspace. But President Obama says we're not as prepared as we should be, as a government or a country, for cyber-attacks. That's why he's planning to create a new position: cybersecurity coordinator. Jeanne Meserve explains the new job. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hackers cut power to a skyscraper and then reprogram it to play Space Invaders in a spoof video on YouTube. But cybersecurity is not a laughing matter. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: It's now clear this cyberthreat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation. MESERVE: Americans use the Internet to bank and shop and talk to one another. Electricity, water, transportation all depend on it. But every day, there are attacks. The White House estimates in the past two years cybercrime has cost Americans more than $8 billion. And last year alone, hackers stole one trillion dollars worth of business secrets. Military and intelligence networks have been penetrated, and tests have shown a cyberattack can destroy critical infrastructure, like this generator. President Obama says the country is not prepared. OBAMA: From now on, our digital infrastructure, the networks and computers we depend on every day, will be treated as they should be: as a strategic national asset. Protecting this infrastructure will be a national security priority. MESERVE: The president will hand pick a cybersecurity coordinator to integrate policies across government, work closely with the private sector, and coordinate the federal response to attacks. Still unknown: who will get the job. JAMES LEWIS, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: If you get the wrong person, or you put them in an office that doesn't have very much power, you can have the best plan in the world and it still won't work. MESERVE: The plan is short on specifics, though the president says government will not dictate security standards to private industry, and will not monitor private networks or Internet traffic. Security experts say they generally like the steps the administration is taking, but warn there are many more steps to take on the long road to securing the nation's cyber-infrastructure. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEO CLIP) Big Ben's Birthday! AZUZ: Heading across the Atlantic now to celebrate a big British birthday. Big Ben, one of the world's most famous clocks, turned 150 years old yesterday. Recently voted as Britain's favorite monument, it's actually just the 14-ton bell that's named \"Big Ben,\" although most people use it describe the tower and clock, too. Despite a couple disruptions over the years, Big Ben has helped keep London on time since 1859. Extra, Extra Innings . AZUZ: This college baseball game didn't last quite 150 years, but it did go into extra innings; 16 of them! Texas and Boston College took the field at 7 p.m. and left it at 2 a.m. after playing the longest game in NCAA history: 25 innings, almost 3 full games. At one point, a relief pitcher threw 13 scoreless innings. In the end, an RBI single helped Texas triumph, 3-2. Word to the Wise . RAMSAY: A Word to the Wise... sustainable (adjective) capable of being maintained with minimal long-term effects on the environment . source: www.dictionary.com . Reusable Lessons . AZUZ: Sustainability projects can be as simple as recycling paper and plastic and using recycled materials, or they can be as complex as altering the viscosity of waste oil to convert it into biodiesel fuel. There's one place in Atlanta, Georgia that's doing all of this: a school! Jacqui Jeras takes us on a tour of the campus's environmentally-friendly efforts. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JACQUI JERAS, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: The botany classroom is the great outdoors for students at the Lovett School in Atlanta. ELLIOT MCCARTHY, THE LOVETT SCHOOL: This is something that we'll actually use later in life. JERAS: They're digging in the dirt, getting lessons in environmental sustainability. MCCARTHY: It's much healthier for you, it's less chemicals, it's completely natural and it costs less. JERAS: The school's organic garden is just the beginning. ALEX REYNOLDS, SCIENCE TEACHER: The idea that your labor can then nourish you is a life lesson, you know, and the fact that you take responsibility. If you do something wrong, you have to fix it. JERAS: Food from the garden goes to the cafeteria. Menus change depending on what's fresh. The dining hall is also trayless, saving thousands of gallons of water used to wash them. The cafeteria does more than just cook with sustainability in mind. For example, all of the oil that is used for fried foods is ultimately turned into biodiesel. That biofuel is used to fill up the school's maintenance vehicles for half the cost of gas. There is even a wind turbine on campus creating electricity. But the key is keeping the students involved. BILL DUNKEL, PRINCIPAL, THE LOVETT SCHOOL: It's really important for us to educate young people to be good citizens for the 21st century. THOMAS MACDONALD, THE LOVETT SCHOOL: It's my earth and my water and my air, too, so I dont want anybody trashing it. JERAS: Jacqui Jeras, CNN, Atlanta. (END VIDEO CLIP) Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go: the answer to one of life's great mysteries. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get a donut! At least that's this bird brain's excuse. Alright, he's actually a rooster, but you get it. Every morning, he'd hear the opening bell at Scrumdiddilyumptious Donuts and dash across the street to get his complementary breakfast. Did heavy traffic ever scare him away from his risky run? Goodbye . AZUZ: We already told you, this guy's no chicken. Well, we will be back tomorrow. You guys have a great one." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Take a drive back in time as another American icon's wheels come off .\nPlug into the reasons why President Obama has cybersecurity concerns .\nStep onto the campus of a school that's a model of sustainability ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Some Iranian-Americans, watching the post-election unrest in Iran, say the tug-of-war between the people and their hardline government has come to a head after three decades. Crowds demonstrated in Los Angeles, California on Monday, June 15 over the Iran election results. \"I am absolutely convinced that what we are witnessing is a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic,\" said Dr. Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York City. \"Even if the Islamic Republic survives this crisis, it will no longer be as it used to be,\" added Dabashi. The contentious election results between conservative incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist challenger Mir Hossein Moussavi sent many Iranians protesting in the streets, while others celebrated Ahmadinejad's apparent victory. Kaveh Afrasiabi, who has taught at Tehran University and Boston University and identifies himself as an independent, told CNN that Ahmadinejad's widespread support in rural areas and small towns was the reason for his win. In results announced hours after the polls closed, Ahmadinejad received more than 62 percent of the vote, a figure hotly disputed by Moussavi's supporters. With the credibility of Friday's election under scrutiny, how the Islamic Republic of Iran overcomes it and reclaims its legitimacy in the eyes of some of its own citizens and the international community remains to be seen. \"There is good reason to believe that many if not most of the pro-Moussavi demonstrators are gladly taking an opportunity to safely protest something bigger: their enormous discontent with the entire system as it stands,\" said Shirin Sadeghi, a Middle East analyst for the Huffington Post. The unstable political, social and economic climate has some scholars questioning the future of the Islamic Republic. \"They are either going to crack down severely or they are going to cave in -- it could go either way,\" Dabashi said of the conservatives who now dominate Iran's government. Many Iranian-Americans say they see this as their opportunity for change. \"This is the best chance Iranians have to evolve to a better situation,\" said Dr. Ali Nayeri, a professor at the University of California at Irvine. That chance has sparked an unprecedented wave of spontaneous demonstrations not only within Iran but also thousands of miles away from Tehran --- scenes unparalleled since the 1979 revolution. \"Thirty years ago we had the war with Iraq. Now we have an internal war with our president and the fundamentalists,\" said Reza Goharzad, a political analyst who worked with Moussavi when he was prime minister of Iran. Goharzad, of Southern California, was among thousands of voters to cast an absentee ballot. \"This was the first time I voted in 30 years,\" said Goharzad. The enthusiasm that drove record numbers of Iranian-Americans to the voting booths was overshadowed by disappointment when a shortage of ballots prevented hundreds from voting. In addition, the election results were announced before many of the voting booths in the U.S. had closed. Alex Vatanka, senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane's, a provider of defense and security information, said Iran's supreme ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, may have miscalculated the mood of the country when he endorsed Ahmadinejad's victory before the country's election authority made the final call. Khamenei has since asked the authority, the Guardian Council, to recount some of the votes. But Moussavi is asking for fresh elections. Goharzad, like many other voters, questions the legitimacy of the election. He wants to know where his vote went. A student activist in Dallas, Texas, echoed that sentiment. \"The election volunteer at my voting location said that they had 500 ballots, which was not enough for the thousand or so people that turned out to vote,\" said the activist, who wanted to remain anonymous because he plans to visit Iran soon. For the first time, Iranian-Americans say, the post-revolution generation has seen the power of their unity unfold in masses. They say this has given Iranians at home and abroad hope that reform could be within their reach, if the ruling mullahs are willing to allow it. \"We are seeing a rise of a new generation of Iranians who are not taking it anymore,\" said Dabashi. \"This is no longer just about this election, this is full-fledged civil disobedience,\" he added. The divide within the Islamic Republic has pitted the reformists against the conservatives. \"The big difference between these protests and the student riots of 1999 and 2001 is that we are seeing senior caliber officials like Mir Hossein Moussavi, Mehdi Karrubi and Mohammad Khatami and Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani supporting the demonstrations,\" said Vatanka. Karrubi is a former Parliament speaker. Khatami and Rafsanjani are former presidents. Some experts say where Iran is headed actually has a lot to do with its past. \"Rafsanjani made no secret of his disdain for Ahmadinejad ahead of the election, and even back in 2005 when he lost the second round runoff to Ahmadinejad,\" said Sadeghi. Rafsanjani is chairman of the Assembly of Experts and oversees the 86-member body, which is responsible for appointing the supreme leader and monitoring his performance. Behind closed doors, Iran's political parties are caught in the middle of a power struggle between Supreme Leader Khamenei and Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani's role as chairman of the assembly gives him the ability to influence that body's attitudes toward Khamenei, Vatanka said. That could only add more fuel to the political fire and social unrest in the streets, analysts say. Politics aside, at the end of the day, Iranian expatriates such as Mitra Gholami, who participated in the historic 1979 protests, feel a sense of deja vu. Gholami, now an Atlanta resident, fled Iran with her three children 15 years ago. \"I want people to have a normal life,\" said Gholami. \"I want them to have freedom.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Some Iranians-Americans believe the Islamic Republic possibly is eroding .\nProtests in Iran continue after disputed presidential election .\nTensions between Iran's clergy could be a reason for the unrest, analyst says .\nIranian-Americans say they hope more freedom is result of unrest ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The recent hacking of a Twitter employee's personal e-mail account is raising questions about the security of storing personal information and business data on the Internet. A Twitter co-founder says password toughness is important to online security. The Web has been buzzing since a hacker allegedly broke into a Twitter administrator's personal e-mail account about a month ago and used that information to access the employee's Google Apps account. That account housed some of Twitter's private financial documents and notes, according to Twitter's official blog. Some of those documents circulated the blogosphere on Wednesday, and TechCrunch, a technology blog, published a Twitter financial forecast. The hacker sent 310 documents to the tech site, according to a post by Michael Arrington, TechCrunch's founder and co-editor. In what appears to be a separate incident, a hacker broke into Twitter chief executive Evan Williams' wife's e-mail account and then accessed Williams' PayPal and Amazon accounts, Twitter says. It's unclear what if any impact the incidents will have on the future of cloud computing, the idea that documents and computing power can be stored \"in the cloud\" of the Internet rather than on desktops or laptops. Many tech blogs are weighing in on the hacking's impact. Some see the incident as an indication of serious security flaws at Twitter. Others say it's a sign Twitter has gotten big, and any rising company makes a good target for a cyberattack. People outside the Silicon Valley micro-blogging company, such as Twitter account holders, reportedly were not affected in the incident. \"This was not a hack on the Twitter service, it was a personal attack followed by the theft of private company documents,\" Twitter co-founder Biz Stone writes on the company's official blog. Google's suite of online applications, which allows users to share and store calendars, spreadsheets and text documents, is not to blame for the hacking, Stone said in the post, adding that Twitter continues to use Google Apps. \"This isn't about any flaw in Web apps,\" Stone writes. \"It speaks to the importance of following good personal security guidelines such as choosing strong passwords.\" Security experts say it's best for users to create new passwords for each of their online accounts. The passwords generally should be complicated, combining letters, numbers and symbols. And they should be changed often. CNET, a tech site that partners with CNN, says the hack highlights how interconnected information is online -- and how vulnerable that setup is to attack. \"Although it seems that Twitter has been thrust into this situation a bit unfairly, a hack along these lines could have happened to the executives of more Web companies than anybody would like to admit,\" Josh Lowensohn and Caroline McCarthy write on the news site. \"What it really highlights is the extreme interconnectedness of the social Web: with the likes of e-mail contact importing and data-portability services like Facebook Connect now commonplace, a savvy hacker can have access to multiple accounts simply by accessing one.\" Ken Colburn, a computer security expert, recently told CNN.com/Live that Google Docs are \"as secure as anything you're going to do on the Internet. It's not any more or less secure than Microsoft Office.\" Writing for Mashable, a blog that covers online social media, Stan Schroeder says the latest Twitter breach proves the micro-blogging site needs to address nagging security flaws. \"There have been so many problems [at Twitter] over the past couple of months that it's getting hard to keep track of them,\" he writes. \"It's time to fix it once and for all, because these security issues are a dark shadow looming over the otherwise bright future of this company.\" Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief at Mashable, says the hacking is \"another embarrassing moment in Twitter's torrid growth, but nothing that's likely to bring the house down.\" Peter Kafka, senior editor at AllThingsD.com, offers another analogy. \"This looks roughly akin to having your underwear drawer rifled: Embarrassing, but no one's really going to be surprised about what's in there,\" he writes. Another debate happening online concerns TechCrunch's decision to publish some of the information stolen from Twitter. Arrington, of TechCrunch, writes that \"a few of the documents have so much news value that we think it's appropriate to publish them.\" Still, \"there is clearly an ethical line here that we don't want to cross, and the vast majority of these documents aren't going to be published, at least by us,\" he writes. Some, including TechCrunch readers, have criticized the blog's decision to publish any of the information. Twitter has said it is seeking legal counsel on the matter. \"We are in touch with our legal counsel about what this theft means for Twitter, the hacker, and anyone who accepts and subsequently shares or publishes these stolen documents,\" Stone writes on the site's blog. Ostrow, of Mashable, writes that there's nothing \"really juicy\" in the Twitter documents. \"The bottom line seems to be this: your Twitter accounts are safe, but there are a number of documents that Twitter would rather not have published publicly in other people's hands,\" he says. \"But if you're expecting something really juicy (like, how Twitter plans to make money), you should probably prepare to be disappointed.\" What do you think of the news? Are you worried about security and cloud computing? Do you use Google Docs and will you continue to? What about TechCrunch's decision to publish the info stolen from Twitter? Feel free to chime in with comments below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A hacker allegedly broke into a Twitter administrator's personal e-mail account .\nThe hacker stole Twitter financial documents and leaked them to several blogs .\nWeb is abuzz with opinions on the hacking's impact and the ethics of posting the info .\nTwitter says it is seeking legal counsel on the matter ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Ralph J. Begleiter teaches communication, journalism and political science at the University of Delaware. During two decades as CNN's \"world affairs correspondent,\" Begleiter was the network's most widely traveled reporter. Ralph J. Begleiter says the Pentagon's new policy on media access to coffins of war dead is a milestone. NEWARK, Delaware (CNN) -- The reversal of two decades of policy on images of returning war casualties is an important and welcome milestone for the American people. The Pentagon's decision announced Thursday allowing media coverage of coffins of war victims returning to Dover Air Force Base -- if families agree -- restores to its rightful, honorable place the immense value of the sacrifice American troops make on behalf of their nation. It allows the American people to honor the dignified and respectful return of war casualties to home soil for the last time. Although no one should have a veto over the nation's ability to pay respects to its fallen troops, I believe most families will decide that their sons and daughters deserve to be recognized publicly for their sacrifice. These men and women enlisted in the military for their nation. They fought for their nation. They died for their nation. Their return should be respectfully and publicly acknowledged by their nation. The ban on images of returning casualties started accidentally, and without any reference to the \"privacy\" of the families of those who gave their lives in service to the nation. The accident of media history occurred in December 1989 when poor White House scheduling placed President George H.W. Bush before live television cameras just as the first American casualties were arriving at Dover Air Force Base from the U.S. invasion of Panama. CNN and two other major TV networks fired up their split-screen technology, showing on one side the president joking with White House reporters just before the Christmas holiday -- and on the other the sober images of flag-draped military caskets being carried ceremoniously by honor guards across the tarmac at Dover. After the holidays, the president appealed publicly to reporters to \"help me\" overcome a public impression that he had been insensitive on TV about the returning casualties. News media had been covering the return of war casualties since World War II. Some military personnel believe the showing of those images -- and others from the jungles of Vietnam -- contributed to a gradual growth of anti-war sentiment during the 1960s. Just days before the Gulf War began in January 1991, the new media policy was formalized in a cable sent by the Defense Department to its posts: There would be no media coverage of returning casualties at Dover or other stops along the way home. The directive made no mention of anyone's privacy but portrayed the ban on coverage of returning casualties as an effort to ease pressure on stressed families, who might feel obliged to travel to Dover to witness the return of their loved one with news media watching. Over the next decade, several exceptions were made to the ban on media coverage at Dover, including for the return of Navy personnel killed in the bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen's coast, just weeks before the election that brought the second President Bush into office. Ironically, throughout the ban on media coverage of returning casualties, the Pentagon continued documenting this important part of any war by assigning military and government contract photographers to take pictures of the flag-draped caskets. Those images, among the most poignant, respectful and dignified tributes to troops who died in service of their nation, were carefully maintained by the Defense Department. They were used for training of honor guards and for commemorating the significance of war casualties. Although taken by the government, those images were withheld from public view. From the aftermath of September 11, 2001, through the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the Pentagon kept taking those pictures even as it expanded its ban on media coverage of returning casualties -- now arguing that such war images would somehow invade the privacy of families of the deceased troops. It was those images that a series of Freedom of Information Act requests pried loose in 2005 after months of legal skirmishing. (Those requests were initiated by Russ Kick, editor of a Web site called \"The Memory Hole.\" When the Pentagon refused to respond substantively to my own series of Freedom of Information Act requests, the National Security Archive at George Washington University and I took the government to court with a lawsuit over the images.) Just weeks before a federal judge was expected to rule in the case, the Pentagon pre-empted a precedent-setting order by releasing voluntarily more than 700 images of returning casualties. They remain to this day available to the public on the National Security Archive Web site. At the time Kick and I were seeking to make the Pentagon's pictures public, major U.S. news organizations were busy suiting up to cover the invasion of Iraq; they did not engage their lawyers to ask for access to Dover to witness the return of those who sacrificed their lives in the war and they have declined to do so since then. The Pentagon policy, which had come into being over the embarrassment of a president, evolved after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, into a complete ban preventing the American people from seeing the most important single measure of the cost of war. So desperate, apparently, was the White House desire to block public view of such images that military photographers at Dover were ordered to stop documenting the returns. To my knowledge, since 2005, no further photos have been taken showing those emotional moments when a casualty touches home soil for the last time. The Obama administration's reversal of two decades of policy on the visibility of returning casualties should have two immediate effects: . Public opinion -- consistently supportive of making the war casualty images public -- has reached a new high. Most recently, a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday reported that 67 percent of those questioned said they think the government should allow the public to see photos of caskets of U.S. troops at an Air Force base. I have had the privilege of speaking with a number of family members who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan or Iraq. Most think the pictures should be public, but only after families authorize it. This dramatic change in government policy should once again allow all Americans to see the full human cost of war, while paying respect to those who served their nation as well as to their families. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ralph J. Begleiter." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ralph J. Begleiter: U.S. policy on photographing war dead was result of coincidence .\nHe says it was due to split-screen image of president joking while coffins returning .\nBegleiter: New policy allows the nation to pay proper respect to war dead .\nHe urges government to resume using its photographers to document the toll ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- In an unprecedented move in Iranian politics, a reformist presidential candidate accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of tainting the country's image by questioning the Holocaust and by wielding a reckless leadership style. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who came to power in 2005, is seeking a second term in office. The frontrunners in Iran's presidential race clashed during a fiery debate broadcast to a national television audience on Wednesday evening. The verbal jousting between Ahmadinejad and opponent Mir Hossein Mousavi -- a former prime minister and reformist candidate who poses a threat to the firebrand Iranian president -- lasted an hour and half. Mousavi said Ahmadinejad's dictatorial ways have hurt Iran's image across the globe and could be a prelude to a dictatorship. \"There are two ways of confronting the country's problems,\" Mousavi said. \"One is through a management style based on adventurism, instability, play-acting, exaggerations, wrongdoing, being secretive, self-importance, superficiality and ignoring the law. The second way is based on realism, respect, openness, collective wisdom and avoiding extremism.\" He said Ahmadinejad's denials of the Holocaust had repulsed Iran's allies. \"This has greatly damaged us,\" Mousavi said. The Iranian president called the Holocaust, in which six million Jews perished at the hands of the Nazis, \"a big deception.\" Ahmadinejad also has lashed out at the United States and Israel, calling at various times for the end of Israel's existence as a Jewish state. In addition to Mousavi, two other challengers -- former parliament speaker Mahdi Karoudi, another reformist, and hard-liner Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Expediency Council -- hope to unseat Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election. Neither took part in Wednesday's debate. The outcome of the election will set the tone for Iran's policies on crucial issues, including its nuclear ambitions and the possibility of bilateral talks with Washington. Wednesday night's event was the first of four debates that will pair two of the candidates against each other ahead of next week's presidential elections. Ahmadinejad, known for his attacks against his foes, accused Mousavi of colluding with Iran's former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Ahmadinejad, seeking a second term in office, accused the two Iranian figures of mismanagement, corruption and the masterminding of a plot to force him from power. \"I have tolerated all the personal insults and lies for four years and I forgive those responsible for them,\" Ahmadinejad said. \"But I do not have the authority to turn a blind eye when the people and the people's choice and their interests are insulted.\" Ahmadinejad accused Mousavi and the two former leaders of standing against the Iranian nation and conspiring against him. Ahmadinejad said that, in the early days of his presidency, Rafsanjani sent a message to the king of a Persian Gulf state that said: \"Do not worry. This government will fall within six months.\" Hours after the debate, Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani met at a ceremony commemorating the death of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution that overthew the ruling monarchy in 1979 and established Iran as an Islamic republic. The meeting was cordial, with Rafsanjani holding on to Ahmadinejad's arm throughout their talk, the semi-official Fars news agency said. Rafsanjani, a powerful cleric who heads the Expediency Council and Assembly of Experts, remains an influential figure in Iran. He was president from 1989 to 1997 and then attempted to position himself in the political center in the 2005 elections, when he publicly favored a policy that would relax tensions with the United States. The two nations have had no diplomatic ties since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rafsanjani lost to the ultra-conservative Ahmadinejad, who was then Tehran's mayor. Ahmadinejad's accusations against the former Iranian presidents mark a change in traditional politics, in that he named them. Normally, charges are made via innuendo. Though the targets are clear, they go unnamed. The change could indicate that he has the backing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Analysts say that, without at least a nod from Khamenei, Ahmadinejad would not dare implicate members of Iran's powerful inner circle. Outside the TV station, supporters of both candidates stayed well after the debate had ended, chanting slogans and not fully dispersing until 4 a.m., according to the semi-official Fars news agency. CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr in Tehran contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In a first for Iran, nation holds debates televised live ahead of presidential elections .\nMir Hossein Mousavi accuses Ahmadinejad of behaving like a dictator .\nMousavi: Ahmadinejad's denials of the Holocaust had repulsed Iran's allies.\nAhmadinejad accused Iran's former presidents of corruption, mismanagement ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Hundreds of Pakistani residents have taken up arms and are battling local Taliban militants in the wake of a deadly mosque attack last week. A Pakistani police stands guard at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan on June 8. It is the first major battle between the residents of northwest Pakistan and Taliban militants near the Afghanistan border. The residents are outraged over a suicide attack on a local mosque during Friday prayers that killed at least 40 people and wounded some 80 others. Starting on Saturday morning, some 400 villagers in the Upper Dir district formed a \"lashkar\" -- or militia -- to fight the Taliban, killing 14 of the militants as of Sunday evening, according to local administrator Atiq Ur Rehman. Four of the villagers have been injured in the battle, Rehman said. The militia have burned a number of houses thought to be sheltering the militants, according to Upper Dir police chief Ijaz Kahn. Both the residents and Taliban fighters are using heavy weapons, including rocket launchers and anti-aircraft weapons, Rehman said. There is a long history of Taliban presence in the area, including foreign fighters in leadership roles, local officials said. Authorities said Taliban fighters were driven out of Shot Ghas and Ghazigay -- two villages where the Taliban have support. The villagers took up arms against the Taliban after Friday's suicide attack at a mosque in Hayagay Sharqi -- a village in Upper Dir located about 35 km (22 miles) from the Afghan border and known for being against the Taliban. Upper Dir is a part of the Swat Valley, where the Pakistani military has waged a month-long operation against Taliban militants, but the district has not been part of the ongoing military offensive. The United Nations has said an estimated 2 million Pakistanis have been displaced by fighting between the Pakistani military and Taliban militants. The militants threatened to continue attacking cities in Pakistan until the military ends its operations against Taliban militants. As a result, Pakistani authorities have increased security in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital city. CNN's Ingrid Formanek and journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Upper Dir, part of Swat Valley, is where Pakistan army are fighting Taliban militants .\nU.N. says an estimated 2 million Pakistanis have been displaced by fighting .\nBacklash follows suspected Taliban suicide attack Friday at a mosque .\nOfficial: Both sides using heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft weapons ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Despite a bleak economic environment featuring wide-ranging layoffs and rising unemployment, the nation's premier law enforcement agency is touting \"one of the largest hiring blitzes in our 100-year history.\" The FBI is about to embark on its biggest hiring spree since immediately after the September 11, 2001. The FBI posted openings for 850 special agents and more than 2,100 professional support personnel. Officials say it's the largest FBI job posting since immediately after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The FBI's unexpectedly large number of job openings results more from attrition and a wave of retirements than from growing government appropriations, Bureau officials told CNN. The FBI routinely advertises openings for individuals with critical skills in computer science and language fluency. But John Raucci, assistant director of the FBI's Human Resources Division, says current needs are much more wide-ranging. \"We're also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies and others who wish us harm,\" Raucci said. The lengthy list of openings includes positions in finance and accounting, security, intelligence analysis, training and education, nursing and counseling, physical surveillance, electrical engineering, physical and social sciences, and auto mechanics. Procedures for applying and a full listing of available positions are posted on the Web site fbijobs.gov. \"This is a great time to apply for a great job in the FBI,\" said the bureau's chief spokesman, Richard Kolko. Officials note at least a few jobs are currently available in every one of the FBI's 56 field offices across the nation. The FBI lists openings throughout the year, but seldom has anything close to the current number of available positions. The present job postings expire on January 16, but a new, possibly smaller set of openings will be posted shortly thereafter, the agency said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "FBI goes on biggest hiring blitz since 9/11 .\nPostings on www.fbijobs.gov seek 850 agents, 2,100 support staffers .\nRetirements, attrition responsible for openings, FBI says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Latin American nations overwhelmingly rejected nearly 50 years of U.S. policy toward Cuba on Wednesday, voting at a meeting of the Organization of American States in Honduras to revoke the communist nation's 1962 suspension from the multinational group. Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales says farewell to Hillary Clinton at Wednesday's OAS meeting. Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales said at the end of the two-day meeting in the city of San Pedro Sula that the OAS had rectified a serious error. The United States led the push to suspend Cuba from the OAS at the height of the Cold War, also breaking diplomatic relations with the island nation in 1961 and establishing an economic embargo the next year. \"This is an important message to the whole world, not just our continent,\" Zelaya said, later adding, \"The Cold War ended today in San Pedro Sula.\" The United States sought to obtain concessions from Cuba this year in exchange for readmission to the 35-nation group. In particular, the United States wants greater political and personal freedoms for the island's 11 million citizens. Cuba rejected any preconditions, with former President Fidel Castro saying this week Cuba had no interest in rejoining the OAS. Although the OAS lifted Cuba's suspension, Latin leaders did not automatically welcome the nation back. Instead, the OAS set up a mechanism by which Cuba could rejoin. Much of that dialogue will center on human rights. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was \"pleased\" with the outcome, which came on a voice vote with no opposition. \"The member nations of the OAS showed flexibility and openness today, and as a result we reached a consensus that focuses on the future instead of the past: Cuba can come back into the OAS in the future if the OAS decides that its participation meets the purposes and principles of the organization, including democracy and human rights,\" Clinton said in a statement. She attended the two-day meeting but left before the vote to travel to Egypt, where President Obama was to make a major address to the Muslim world Thursday. Some analysts agreed with Clinton's assessment. \"The OAS emerged from a heated debate with a constructive compromise that revokes an obsolete Cold War resolution suspending Cuba,\" said Robert Pastor, who was a Latin America national security adviser for President Carter in the late 1970s. \"But rather than invite Cuba to join the OAS, which Cuba said it would not do, it invited Cuba to initiate a dialogue on the purposes and principles of the OAS.\" Others saw the vote as an outright rebuke for an outdated U.S. policy. \"I wouldn't say it was inevitable, but it was almost so,\" said Wayne Smith, who worked as a top level official at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba from 1958 to 1961 during the Cuban Revolution that brought Castro to power. \"The U.S. was totally isolated on this,\" said Smith, who also was the chief of mission at the U.S. interests section in Havana from 1979-82. \"The United States had some legitimate points on readmitting Cuba,\" Smith said, but went about it wrong. Larry Birns, director of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs policy institute, saw the vote as a personal defeat for Clinton. \"This will be presented in Latin America as a big defeat for Hillary Clinton because people are not ready to take a swat at Obama yet,\" Birns said. \"It was hers to win, but she managed to lose it.\" The United States is being \"hypercautious,\" he said, rather than taking imaginative and bold steps toward normalizing relations. Analysts said many people in Latin America expected more from the newly elected Obama, who ran on a mantra of \"change.\" Said Smith: \"The Obama policy has reflected so little change that the other countries are just fed up.\" And many Latins gauge the United States -- long considered with suspicion, if not outright hostility -- by its stance toward Cuba. \"The road to rehabilitating relations with Latin America is through Havana,\" Birns said. \"That's something that the Latin Americans are very responsive to.\" Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm, saw the vote as \"a largely symbolic gesture that will have little impact in the short term either on improving democracy and human rights on the island, or on increasing the likelihood that the U.S. will lift the embargo of the island.\" And the vote could have a backlash, she said. \"There will be a strong reaction among certain members of U.S. Congress who are passionately opposed to improving U.S.-Cuba relations while the Castros remain in power,\" Berkman said. That reaction was quick to come Wednesday. \"Today we witnessed an example of the Obama administration's absolute diplomatic incompetence and its unrestricted appeasement of the enemies of the United States,\" Cuban-American U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Florida, and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Florida, said in a joint statement. \"The OAS is a putrid embarrassment.\" Other Cuban-American members of Congress also released statements criticizing the vote. The United States provides about 60 percent of OAS funding, Berkman said, and some members of Congress have threatened to withhold the money if Cuba is allowed back into the organization. Some old Latin America hands agree that the OAS may have hurt itself. \"I never cease to be amazed at how destructive some of these Latin American leaders can be,\" said Otto Reich, who served in high-level Latin American posts for Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. \"They chose to revive something out of the Cold War.\" The Latin leaders, Reich said, misread Washington. \"Some of these countries have further isolated themselves from the Obama administration,\" Reich said. \"It will be a long time before they regain the trust of the American government.\" Reich, a strong anti-communist, also opposed the vote on ideological grounds. \"The problem is that the conditions that suspended Cuba still exist,\" he said. \"Cuba hasn't changed.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "OAS revokes a 1962 decision suspending Cuba's membership .\nThe 35-member Organization of American States met this week in Honduras .\nU.S. had led push toward the 1962 suspension during Cold War's height .\nU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she's \"pleased\" with the outcome ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A U.N. special investigator called for the resignation of top Kenyan officials and sweeping changes in the country's security forces to end reported widespread killings by police across the African nation. The report urged President Mwai Kibaki to publicly acknowledge his commitment to ending the killings. \"The special rapporteur concluded that police in Kenya frequently execute individuals and that a climate of impunity prevails,\" Philip Alston said in a report a recently submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. \"Most troubling is the existence of police death squads operating on the orders of senior police officials and charged with eliminating suspected leaders and members of criminal organizations.\" The report calls for the resignation of Kenya's attorney general and the immediate replacement of the police commissioner. It also says Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki should publicly acknowledge his commitment to ending unlawful killings by the police. The Kenyan government expressed its \"deep displeasure\" with the report, questioning the special investigator's \"approach, conduct and method of work.\" \"The government expresses grave concern regarding the allegations contained in the report by the special rapporteur,\" said Alfred Mutua, a spokesman for the Kenyan government. \"His questioning of the very basis of the Kenyan state and, in particular, its institutions is totally unacceptable and impinges on Kenya's sovereignty.\" Alston also accused government security forces of torturing and killing hundreds of men in a March 2008 crackdown on a militia in the Mt. Elgon district, in western Kenya. And he said there was compelling evidence that what he called police death squads were operating in Nairobi and Central Province with a mandate to \"exterminate\" suspected Mungiki gang members. \"These are not \"rogue\" squads, but police who are acting on the explicit orders of their superiors,\" he said. The Mungiki militia, which is loyal to Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe, began as a religious sect, but over the years has morphed into a gang that runs protection rackets -- particularly in the slums. The U.N. investigator suggested Kibaki acknowledge the alleged police killings and commit to stop them. He also advocated creating an independent civilian police oversight body, and said the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should investigate violence after the 2007 election. He urged the government to create a witness protection program as well. Alston, who investigates human-rights problems around the world for the United Nations, traveled to Kenya at the government's invitation. He stayed for 10 days in mid-February while 100 interviews were conducted in the U.N. member nation. There is hope for Kenya despite his criticism, Alston said. \"While the existing situation is bad, it is far from intractable,\" the report says. \"If it so chooses, Kenya can significantly reduce the prevalence of unlawful killings.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Report: Police death squads operate on the orders of senior officials .\nCalls for resignation of attorney general, replacement of police commissioner .\nPhilip Alston accuses security forces of killing hundreds of men in 2008 crackdown .\nKenya questions investigator's \"approach, conduct and method of work\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Sir Edmund Hillary has been laid to rest in New Zealand after thousands paid tribute to a mountaineer whose conquest of Mt Everest in 1953 was one of the 20th century's defining moments. A last farewell to Sir Edmund Hillary. Guests filled Auckland's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral and an overflow area next door for a service. Among the guests were politicians, mountaineers and friends. Lady Hillary sat with family and Prime Minister Helen Clark. In the congregation were members of Nepal's Sherpa community and Buddhist monks. In front of them, Hillary's coffin was draped in a New Zealand flag and covered in wreaths. See photos of the funeral service » . As the service began, Sherpas laid Tibetan prayer scarves on the coffin. In Nepal, schools were due to ring bells as the service started. Hillary's son, Peter, told the congregation: \"Adventure was compulsory growing up in the Hillary household. He took us to the most extraordinary places.\" His daughter, Sarah spoke of a childhood where Sir Edmund was planning expeditions, and coming home to a family eager to see him again. \"When asked at primary school what my father did, I was unable to find an answer.\" Clark said: \"He was a role model for a generation of New Zealanders... We mourn as a nation because we know we are saying goodbye to a friend.\" On Monday, New Zealanders filed past Hillary's casket as they paid final respects in Auckland's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral. Four soldiers, rifles at rest, stood guard as ordinary New Zealanders said goodbye to a national hero, whose achievements are known around the world. Hillary's widow attended the tribute, which featured Maori song and dance. Clark, called it a celebration of a \"very great\" life. Hillary, who was 88, died at Auckland City Hospital on January 11. On May 29, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa guide, became the first men to climb the 29,035 feet to the top of Everest and safely return. Hillary, who served during World War II in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, began climbing while in high school and traveled to the central Himalayas to join a British party exploring the southern face of Everest in 1951. He returned in 1953, when he and Norgay made their ascent -- spending 15-30 minutes at the summit. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on his return to England, but continued exploring -- reaching the South Pole by tractor in 1958, joining the first group to climb Antarctica's Mount Herschel in 1967 and boating east Himalayan rivers and the Ganges. His Himalayan Trust has helped build schools, hospitals and airstrips in Nepal since 1961. He was also a strong supporter of environmental causes and worked to improve the lives of Nepal's Sherpas. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "New Zealand says final goodbye to national hero Sir Edmund Hillary .\nIn the congregation is family, Nepalese Sherpas, politicians and friends .\nHillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to climb Mount Everest ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Bombs in Baghdad and Baquba killed four people, two police officers among them, and wounded seven others Sunday morning, an Interior Ministry official said. A wounded Iraqi woman cries at a Baquba hospital after being caught in a blast Sunday at a police building. One death came about 9 a.m. when a parked car bomb detonated near the Buratha Shiite mosque in northwestern Baghdad. The blast apparently targeted a convoy belonging to an endowment that manages Shiite mosques in the war-ravaged nation. Three people were wounded in the explosion. A roadside bomb attack an hour earlier struck a police patrol in western Baghdad's Mansour district, the Interior Ministry official said. Two police officers were killed and four others were wounded, he said. In another attack targeting authorities, a suicide car bomber slammed into the emergency police headquarters in central Baquba about 9:30 a.m., a Baquba police official said. Twelve people were hurt in the blast, including three police officers. The blast also damaged the police headquarters and three civilian automobiles, the police official said. The suicide bomber was the only person killed in the blast. The U.S. military told CNN it has no evidence of a reported attack by al Qaeda in Iraq militants on an Iraqi village near Baquba on Saturday. A Baquba police official said at least 10 people were killed when the AQI insurgents raided the village of Adwaila -- home to both Sunni and Shiite Iraqis -- who have opposed al Qaeda, making the village a target. \"CF [coalition forces] and IA [Iraqi army] searched the area by air and by ground for several hours and found no evidence of this attack,\" Task Force Iron spokeswoman Maj. Peggy Kageleiry told CNN in an e-mail sent on Sunday. \"An IA team that was called to investigate the alleged incident was attacked by small arms fire and not anywhere on the scale described in the original report from the media.\" The police official said al Qaeda in Iraq insurgents launched mortars into the village north of Baquba and then sent in dozens of fighters with small arms to storm the village. The police officials aid at least five homes were burned and destroyed. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A parked car bomb explodes outside an organization that manages mosques .\nTwo police officers killed in roadside bomb attack in Baghdad's Mansour district .\nSuicide car bomber dies after slamming into Baquba police building, injuring 12 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Director of National Intelligence is replacing the agency's inspector general just days after the public release of a blistering report critical of the DNI's office. DNI head Dennis Blair announced Friday Justice Department official Roslyn Mazer will replace Inspector General Edward McGuire as the DNI's internal watchdog. The inspector general's role is to examine the operations of the office and investigate any allegations of waste, fraud or misconduct. Earlier this week, Maguire testified before Congress about his report on the state of the DNI's office, outlining rampant communication problems, continuing turf battles within the intelligence community and financial mismanagement. All of those problems were supposed to be addressed when the position of DNI was created by Congress in 2004 to look at the intelligence failures associated with the 9/11 terrorism attacks and the claims of Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction. The classified inspector general report was completed in November 2008, but was not made public until this week. DNI spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Maguire's departure has nothing to do with his report. She claimed Blair, who assumed his position two months ago, wanted to bring his own leadership team. \"The director appreciates the efforts and work of the previous inspector general and will continue to build on some of the suggested reforms,\" Morigi said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Inspector General Edward McGuire is being replaced as DNI's internal watchdog .\nMaguire's departure comes after blistering report critical of DNI .\nReport details turf battles within intelligence community, financial mismanagement ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Stumped on a tough decision? New Web sites are there to help. Hunch, a site open to the public Monday, asks questions and helps people make decisions. Hunch, a site that launches for the public Monday, will consider your quandary by getting to know you, asking you a series of questions and then spitting out three decisions. Another site, Let Simon Decide, makes a similar attempt. Caterina Fake, co-founder of the photo-sharing community Flickr, says she created Hunch not because people need help with emotional decisions but because it's too tough to find smart information online. You often have to replicate someone else's research, which is a waste, she said. Tech bloggers seem to be pleased with the effort. \"For the most part, I was impressed, though it quickly became clear that Hunch isn't capable of magically making up your mind for you,\" wrote Jason Kincaid, a reporter at TechCrunch, a technology blog. He called the site \"very clean and unintimidating.\" Fake spoke with CNN about decision making, her nerdy past and the power of collective knowledge. The following is an edited transcript: . CNN: Where did you get the idea for Hunch? Fake: It's a user-generated content site similar to Flickr, but the unit is not a photograph but a decision. And so it's sort of a similar thing in that way. We kind of built the system so people can contribute to it. They can ask questions on there and suggest questions. And then you sort of codify it into a decision tree. CNN: So you're answering questions about yourself? Fake: Well, there are two components. So you answer questions about yourself, and there's a little module that says things like, \"Alien abductions: real or fake?\" And what [Hunch] does is, it then puts together a profile of you, a taste profile. And then you can go into the system and ask it any question that's in the system. So it's things like, \"What HD-TV should I buy?\" or \"Where should I go to college?\" or, you know, \"Where should I eat in San Diego on a Saturday night?\" It could be just about anything. Once it kind of gets to know you, you can ask it questions, and then it gives an answer to you that it doesn't give to anyone else. CNN: What are the downsides? Fake: It depends on what the decision is. There is kind of an array of decisions that are too taste-oriented. Like, no matter how well we know you, we're not going to know that your backyard is like 25 feet by 10 feet, versus 10 feet by 10 feet [for a person looking to buy a backyard grill]. You know what I'm saying? There's no system that can get to know that. So what we try to do is narrow it down. So we ask you questions about your aesthetics or your beliefs or your politics or your demographic. CNN: What kind of decision-maker are you? Fake: It's really funny, because I think there's a mistake that's generally made with people asking about Hunch, and it's that it's solving people's emotional problems. And it's not. It's solving people's informational problems. I don't have any problems making any decisions. I've never had any problem making decisions, but when I go to Google and I'm looking for information, say, about trademarks. I have to do all this research, and somebody has already done this research. CNN: So you see Hunch as a kind of search engine, almost? Fake: No, it's not a search engine. The feel of it is nothing like a search engine. It's something new. CNN: How do you think collective knowledge online will change the way people live, or the way we interact with each other? Fake: It's like it's an amazing period in the history of the Internet just in that way. ... We know more in the collective than we do in the individual. It becomes even more amazing when you extend that out to people outside your social network. Like, I don't know anyone that has taken a yoga class in Romania. But I'm sure that if I ended up in Romania, and I wanted to sign up for a yoga class that somebody in the world would know three places to recommend me. The information is out there in a sort of disorganized fashion. ... These systems that are kind of growing up now -- and Hunch hopefully is among them -- are able to take this sort of collective knowledge and make it easy for people to use and easy for people to access. CNN: Is there anything in your background that influences your belief in this collective knowledge idea? Fake: I was a nerdy little girl. I played Dungeons and Dragons, and I had a little TRS-80 computer. It was really early on, I think it was, gosh, like 1994 when I first saw the Web, right? So I went online, and I saw these people uploading pictures of, like, their cats. And I remember there was a video cam of ... the famous coffee pot at the IBM research center that uploaded every 5 minutes to show that the coffee pot was full or empty or whatever. And so the Internet struck me as this incredible thing where anybody -- like anybody -- could publish anything, and then anybody anywhere else in the world could read it. And I never got over that. There was kind of this wonder, this sense of wonder that I had about this incredible culture of generosity on the Web -- of all these people sharing stuff with each other. I've always been so amazed by that. I love that. Like, I love that aspect of the Internet. That's the thing that always seemed like it was magic to me. CNN: What are some cool Web sites that are flying under the radar right now? Fake: Have you heard of Etsy? CNN: Yeah, is that where people buy and sell art? Fake: Yeah, it's great. I think it's gonna be like the next eBay. And I met those guys when they were really small. I've been helping those guys since it was three kids in a dorm room. I love those guys. It's one of my favorite companies. It has that same kind of ethic [as Hunch]: the power of the individual. There are like these housewives in the Midwest who had no idea they could make a living making Christmas ornaments or whatever. It's just kind of an amazing thing that can only happen on the Internet." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "CNN talks with Caterina Fake, founder of a Web site that makes decisions .\nHunch.com asks you questions and then suggests answers .\nFake says Hunch works best for informational problems, not emotional dilemmas .\nFake's philosophy: \"We know more in the collective than we do in the individual\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Henry Joseph Madden was a good student and track team member in high school, but he had a secret: He sometimes wore his mother's pantyhose and underwear under his clothes. Dr. Jennifer Madden, a family physician, began her transition to being female at age 48. \"I really wanted to be a girl so bad, and that was one way for me to satisfy those feelings,\" Madden said. \"I always felt like someone was looking over my shoulder.\" The desire to be female never went away. At age 48, Madden confessed these feelings to a doctor, and started seeing a gender therapist who suggested Madden was transgendered. Through reconstructive surgeries, electrolysis, laser procedures and voice lessons, Henry Joseph became Jennifer Elizabeth, known as Jenny. She is a practicing family physician in Nashua, New Hampshire. Watch Jenny's story » . Chastity Bono, child of performer Cher and the late entertainer and politician Sonny Bono, announced Thursday the beginning of a transition from female to a male. While still relatively rare -- one advocate estimates that 0.25 to 0.5 percent of the American population is transgendered -- the idea of changing gender identity has become more widespread in recent years. The term \"LGBT\" (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) is more commonly recognized, and transgendered people have been portrayed in the 1999 film \"Boys Don't Cry\" as well as the 2002 book \"Middlesex\" by Jeffrey Eugenides. Many people who have transitioned, including Madden, say they knew they had been born into the wrong gender from childhood. As early as age 3, Dr. Julie Praus, born male, didn't understand why her father wanted to play catch. As a boy, Praus learned how to fish and hunt, but enjoyed collecting Depression-era glassware vases. Praus, 48, a psychiatrist in Brattleboro, Vermont, started living as a woman in March 2008. \"I get up every morning and say, 'Wow, I can actually look at myself in the mirror,' because I've never been able to do that in my life, because what would stare back at me was not me,\" Praus said. iReport.com: Share your story of gender change . Doctors speculate that there is a biological foundation to gender identity, but no one has determined what in the biological makeup determines that gender. The interactions between personality and culture also contribute to identity, said Chris Kraft, clinical director at the Johns Hopkins Sexual Behaviors Consultation Unit. The process of changing genders . For people who want a gender change on a biological level, the first step is therapy, experts say. Dr. Gary Alter, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, said patients don't come to him until they've been in therapy, a process that can take as much as a year. A therapist then gives a physician approval to start the patient on hormone treatment. At that point, the patient may or may not start living as the chosen sex, Alter said. Females seeking to transition into males may elect to have their breasts removed via surgery. With testosterone, they will grow hair on their face and chest after about two years. Read one man's female-to-male advice to Chaz Bono . A higher percentage of males transitioning to females will go forward with genital surgery than females going to males, Alter said. Surgical methods for creating a penis -- which range from making one out of the clitoris to using the skin from the forearms -- are \"not perfect,\" and many patients are happy with just chest surgery, he said. Genital surgeries for creating female genitalia are better, he said. Alter's method is to make a clitoris out of the head of the penis, and make space for a vagina. Facing the rest of the world . It is rare for people to undergo a gender transition and then want to reverse it, especially when surgery is involved, experts say. Some say changing genders is one of the best things they've done, like Jamison Green, 60, author of \"Becoming a Visible Man,\" who went through chest reconstruction and genital surgery. \"I don't have too hard of a time telling people about it,\" Green said. \"I worried about that a lot in the beginning, before there was any kind of community and support about this condition, but one of the things I learned early on was that living in fear and shame is not very healthy.\" Green, who started his transition at age 40, is now happily married to a woman whom he did not know before his change. Praus is also married to a woman, who knew her before her transition. Madden has a boyfriend. \"For the longest time, I really felt like I had a mental illness, and I don't feel that way anymore,\" Madden said. But all three have experienced shock and dismay from others around them. Green said his mother took five years to adjust. One of Praus' sons doesn't speak to her. Madden's marriage to a woman ended in divorce during her transition, and her children have struggled. Yet these three transgendered individuals say they feel better in many ways in their chosen gender roles. \"My patients say I'm a better doctor,\" Praus said. \"Some of it is that I'm not exerting so much energy hiding myself.\" Psychologists recommend that people who change genders adopt a \"transgendered identity,\" and not keep their history of transition a secret. But some who \"pass\" as their new genders don't want to risk stigma, and tell only people closest to them, Kraft said. Often, males who transition to females face more problems than females who become males, Kraft said. Transgendered individuals who start as men tend to face more stigma, particularly if they are more noticeably transgendered. Transgendered individuals do face some legal quandaries. Some states require people to show proof of a medical procedure before changing gender on documents such as driver's licenses, while others require that the person has taken hormones, Kraft said. People may also elect to change their birth certificates to reflect chosen gender. Chastity Bono, who now goes by \"Chaz,\" has been a prominent gay-rights activist. \"You could speculate that that could make it more complicated -- when you're a public figure -- to take on something stigmatizing\" such as a gender transition, Kraft said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Estimate: 0.25 to 0.5 percent of the American population is transgendered .\nDoctors speculate that there is a biological foundation to gender identity .\nPeople rarely undergo gender-reassignment surgery and then want to reverse it ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Rich Roll, one of Men's Fitness magazine's \"25 Fittest Guys in the World\" in 2009, was the first athlete to compete in the Ultraman World Championships on an entirely plant-based diet. He's sharing insights today as part of Dr. Sanjay Gupta's \"Four Months to Fitness\" effort. Before: At 40 years old, Rich Roll called himself \"fat, unhappy and fed up.\" (CNN) -- I can still remember it, vivid as yesterday. It was the eve of my 40th birthday, and I walked upstairs to take a shower. And I was winded. I mean very winded. As I was trying to catch my breath, I took off my shirt, looked in the mirror and tried to convince myself that I was still that fit guy I had always thought I was. Somehow, I had been able to skate by on this delusion for all too many years. But the denial had finally caught up to me. I saw my true reflection, and I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I was in the worst shape of my life. I was fat, unhappy and fed up. It's the typical story. First it's the career. Then comes marriage, followed by kids. Your time is no longer your own, and you resign yourself to \"maturity,\" \"filling out\" or whatever euphemism for middle age that soothes that idea that you are simply overweight, unfit and unhealthy. I'm here to say that it doesn't have to be that way. I don't care how busy you are. I don't care how old you are, how many kids you have or how little time you think you have. The power rests within yourself to enact any change in your life you desire. And I can say this because I have seen it happen in myself and countless others. After that fateful day of clarity, I made a decision to change my life. Not a vague, wishy-washy notion that I should \"get in shape,\" maybe \"eat better\" or possibly \"go on a diet,\" but rather a specific long-term plan to enhance my wellness in a way that would not only stick, but fit within the parameters of my busy life as a full-time lawyer, husband and father of four small children. In my case, it began with a well-researched and supervised seven-day fruit and vegetable juice cleanse (during which time I weaned myself off caffeine), followed by an entirely plant-based nutrition program -- an animal-product-free regimen I have adhered to ever since. The immediate result was a rather surprising and unexpected increase in my energy levels, leading to a very gradual return to exercise, building up slowly over an extended period of time. The results were hardly overnight. But two years later, I had lost well over 30 pounds. And not only did I keep the weight off, I was the most fit I had ever been in my life. At 42 years old, I competed in the Ultraman World Championships, a grueling three-day uber-endurance triathlon circumnavigating the Big Island of Hawaii that involves 6.2 miles of swimming, 260 miles of cycling and culminates with a 52.4-mile double marathon run. I placed 11th overall and was the third-fastest American. To top it off, Men's Fitness magazine recently named me one of the \"25 Fittest Guys in the World.\" (Not that I actually believe I deserve such an honor!) Quite an extreme contrast from that day I looked in the mirror. I'm not advocating that everyone should test himself or herself so severely. But my point is that change starts with a decision followed by baby steps along a new, consistent trajectory that, over time, can lead to dramatic results. I'm nothing special. I'm not a professional athlete. I'm just a normal family guy. But if I could experience such a vast transformation in my own life, I know with certainty that everybody has within himself the power to enact his own well-balanced transformation. Change is never easy. And despite what you may see advertised, I'm sorry to say there is no secret diet, mystery pill or overnight miracle that will do it for you. But there is a solution. Here are some helpful tools I employed along the way that can help you get started: . Set a goal: Vague, nonspecific notions of \"getting fit,\" \"going to the gym,\" or \"eating better\" are all fine, but they are not true \"goals\" and all too typically devolve, paving the way for relapse to old habits. Instead, establish something very concrete you would like to achieve on a future date. The more specific, the better. Then create a solid plan with reasonable interim \"steppingstone\" milestones along the way to achieving the larger goal. Chart your progress, as meeting interim milestones will boost your confidence and invest you more deeply in the ultimate goal. Create community and accountability: If you go public with your quest, then you are on the hook. A good support network is a key to success. But beware of the negative dream crushers. Be selective, surrounding yourself with people who encourage your success. Do what you love: When it comes to exercise, it shouldn't be too painful. Ideally, it should be fun. If you absolutely hate running, find something else you enjoy. Otherwise, you set yourself up to fail. And don't be too rigid -- mix it up with a variety of activities you like to keep it interesting and fresh. Don't diet: Instead, get honest about your habits and embark on implementing healthy, lasting changes in your nutrition. I feel quite strongly that a nutrition program built entirely around plant-based foods and completely devoid of animal products is optimal. Conventional wisdom would say that an athlete cannot perform on plants alone. But I am living proof that this is false, and I have ample research to support this position. Personally, I cannot overemphasize the difference this has made in my own life, a secret weapon for enhanced athletic performance and overall long-term wellness. (In the last two years, I have not gotten sick or even suffered a cold.) I realize, of course, that not everyone is ready to go 100 percent vegan, but a program built on a strong foundation of fresh organic vegetables, fruits and grains should be the focus. Don't skip meals, but reduce your portions slightly. Read the labels and educate yourself. Avoid saturated fats, processed foods and soft drinks, all of which are entirely devoid of nutritional value. Eating whole fresh foods high in nutritional content will also stave off those unhealthy urges to binge. One day at a time: Large goals can seem insurmountable. The idea that you can never eat a cupcake or sleep in again is daunting at best. Instead, just focus on what is happening today, even if it's hour to hour, and don't worry about tomorrow. \"Today, I'm not going to eat that cupcake. Maybe I'll eat it tomorrow, just not today.\" And if you miss a beat, don't flog yourself; it only leads to discouragement and quitting altogether. The important thing is to make sure you get right back on it the next day -- don't let another day go by. Prioritize: Take an honest look at your average week, identify your inefficient uses of time and eliminate the things that don't serve your goals. No matter how busy you are, if you are truly honest about this inquiry, I guarantee you can make some cuts and carve out some time. Remember: Nothing changes if nothing changes. Be consistent: It's not about how much you do in a given workout or how hard it is. Ten minutes of core exercises four to five times per week is far better than one long run a week. Establishing a consistent rhythm of repetition is key, and another reason that your choice of exercise should be something you truly enjoy. Let's join together to shift the world's perspective on long-term health and wellness. No matter how old, overweight or out of shape you are, you have the power to make a decision, set a goal and create a plan. Positive change is always within your grasp, and today still remains the first day of the rest of your life. Make it count! The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Rich Roll." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rich Roll: Approaching 40, \"I was in the worst shape of my life\"\nTwo years later, he was the most fit he'd ever been .\nThis year, Men's Fitness named Roll one of the \"25 Fittest Guys in the World\"\nTo become fit, set a specific goal, be consistent and take it one day at a time, he says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(AOL Autos) -- Ah, that new car smell, that eau de car-logne; it does an ego good while it does a wallet bad. And now it turns out, it can do bad things to your health, too. Air freshners can contain aldehydes, esters and ketones, industry spokesman says. All these years, while we were being offered safety first, last and front, side and rear ways, hardly anyone in the vehicle industry had given much thought to what actually was in that perfume de profit, the new car smell that car buyers sought and bought. As everyone knew, pollution related to vehicles originated from the exhaust pipe, not the shifter knob. It was spewed out the back of the rear, not the back of the rear view mirror. Well, what everyone thought they knew was wrong. It turns out -- take a deep breath -- that most of that new car smell is not some carefully-compounded, luxury, feel-good incense to the Mammon gods. But the new car smell comes from toxic gases. Not only that, but like a two dollar cologne, the effects can linger and linger for years, stinking up not only your shiny new car, but the reputation of the entire vehicle industry itself. AOL Autos: Best new small cars . Who says so? Just about everyone in the vehicle business these days. But the initiator was The Ecology Center (EC), a membership-based, nonprofit environmental organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. AOL Autos: 10 most fuel-efficient new cars . In a 2006 industry-awakening report entitled \"Toxic At Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars and the Need for Safe Alternatives\", this independent green organization declared that much of the material in most car interiors that produce that new car smell is made with toxic chemicals known to pose major public health risks. The report went on to say that not only are vehicle drivers and passengers breathing toxic air, but are also in constant physical contact with dangerous chemicals leaching from just about every interior surface of a new vehicle. The report says these chemicals give off gases that not only contaminate the air, but also coat interior surfaces with toxic \"fog,\" generally seen as that new car film common to new car interior windshields and windows. These are the same type of chemicals that are, \"linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and early puberty in laboratory animals amongst other serious health problems,\" according to EC. Fake is probably as bad as real. The companies that market those \"new car smell\" products that are sold at car washes and auto accessories stores generally will not reveal product contents. One fragrance industry spokesman indicated they can contain artificial leather odor, plus aldehydes, esters and ketones, which are all organic or chemical compounds. AOL Autos: Safest cars under $30,000 . Back to real. We are not speaking of plastic doodads here. There is an average of 250 pounds of plastic in new cars, the largest portion used for interior seat cushions, arm rests, door panels, steering wheels, dashboards, wire insulation and the plethora of aircraft-type knobs and switch controls throughout a car's cockpit. AOL Autos: 10 least expensive new cars . In addition to acettonitrile, decanol, formaldehyde, naphthalene and carbon disulfide used in foams, adhesives and fabrics, the two major problem chemicals in most new vehicles are (a) the PBDEs, which are used as fire retardants throughout the industry and (b) phthalates, which are widely employed to soften PVC plastics. AOL Autos: Best financing deals of the month . Extended research by the Ecology Center covered samples from model years 2000 to 2005 made by 11 manufacturers. Part of the research showed significantly higher levels of PBDEs in those vehicles as compared to those levels in homes and offices that had been measured in previous studies, making in-car pollution a major source of indoor air pollution and health danger. In the resultant table of contamination levels, Hyundai rated lowest and Mercedes highest in PBDEs. Volvo rated lowest and Hyundai highest in phthalates. Not only are these toxic elements dangerous in any situation, but the combination of higher temperatures caused by the surrounding glass of windshields and windows and UV exposure from the sun can cause PBDE flame retardants to become even more dangerous with solar exposure, up to five times higher than in homes and offices. Imagine the gas chamber you're creating by also smoking in the car, Jack. Report coauthor and EC's Clean Car Campaign Director Jeff Gearhart wrote, \"We can no longer rely just on seatbelt and airbags to keep us safe in cars. Our research shows that autos are chemical reactors, releasing toxins before we even turn on the ignition. There are safer alternatives to these chemicals ... \" The Ecology Center called for these actions: . Manufacturers: Should phase out PBDEs and phthalates in auto material parts. Government: Should provide phase-out guidelines and provide technical assistance and research to vehicle manufacturers for development of alternatives. At a most recent count, nine states have passed laws banning two forms of PBDEs with at least six more coming aboard. Vehicle occupants: Should minimize health risks by using solar reflectors, ventilating car interiors with open windows and non-recirculating air conditioning and parking out of direct sunlight whenever possible. In other words, get rid of that new car smell. Although the automotive industry took notice of the report, there was no instant fire drill to rectify the status quo. Reaction to the report was slow-growing, but due to things green busting out all over, just about every vehicle manufacturer began to initiate research and development to reduce or eliminate built-in passenger compartment pollution. Actually, research on toxic chemical reduction and elimination had been underway for some time in the electronic and electrical industries. As far back as 2003, the European Union had passed legislation requiring the phase-out of PBDEs. Companies like Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, Panasonic and Sony have already eliminated PBDEs from their products. Addressing progress or lack of same in its recent Second Annual Report, the Ecology Center graded the country's eight leading car manufacturers on their plastics policies and practices. The report said that Ford and Honda had made the most significant improvements since the original findings and had joined Toyota as the three leaders in using \"safe\" plastics for indoor auto parts by (a) use of bio-based materials, (b) improving interior air quality and (c) reducing the use of PVC. Bio-based materials . Toyota led the group with a 'B' grade by developing an eco-plastic made from sugar cane or corn and building a pilot plant to produce it. DaimlerChrysler came in second through increased use of renewable materials, and Ford came in third for developing a soy-based foam and a bio-fabric for seating. Interior air quality . Ford headed this group with a B for having four vehicles certified to an independent allergy-free standard. Toyota got a C+ in this group for its goal to reduce in-cabin VOC (volatile organic compound) levels in all vehicles globally by 2010, but it's noted that Toyota didn't say to what levels they would be reduced. PVC reduction . Honda was tops with a B for removing PVC from most applications in its products. Also cited were Hyundai, Toyota and DaimlerChrysler for replacing PVC parts in some lines. But not all is mountain fresh air in vehicleland. While these studies show progress, vehicle manufacturers still have miles to go before the interiors of their offerings are safe from \"new car smell.\" When grading the manufacturers that account for 94% of total vehicles in sales in the US, it resulted in the highest overall grade of a C+ for Toyota and a C for Ford, while the lowest score in this group overall was a D- for Volkswagen. Much of Ford's good grading came from its Volvo component. Volvo, which had the Ecology Center's lowest emissions of phthalates and a lower incidence of the flame retardant PBDE than in most other cars, actually led the Ecology Center to encourage other car manufacturers to follow Volvo's example. \"Safety is more than crumple zones and air bags,\" said a Volvo spokesman. \"All of our interiors comply with Oeko-tex 100, probably the toughest cabin standard being used today.\" Oeko-tex 100 is an international environmental standard for textiles which demands that seat belts, carpets, thread and fabrics contain no harmful substances, that leather upholstery undergoes chromium-free tanning with natural plant substances and even smaller parts, such as handbrake buttons and steering wheel emblems, be tested as possible contact allergy sources. Finally, the greenies also found their share of doubting Thomases, or in this particular case, Hermanns or maybe Hanses. A group of German scientists decided to conduct their own tests of indoor vehicle pollution. They ran tests of volatile organic compounds originating from the interiors of vehicles and concluded that there was no evidence of toxic effects when they exposed human lab cell cultures to cabin pollutants. Although they declared their research showed no evidence of any health harm, the scientists didn't explain why so many people derive such pleasure from inhaling new car smell, which comes from alky benzenes, alkanes, formaldehyde and acetone. Or could it be that inhaling those fumes could lead the mind to such wondrous suggestions? Either way, now that you have the facts about that once-desirable, now-controversial new car smell, you can breathe easier. Well, maybe not." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ecology Center study shows \"new car smell\" comes from toxic gases .\nEffects of gases can linger for years .\nToyota, Honda and Ford lead in using \"safe\" plastics for indoor auto parts .\nGerman scientists run alternate tests -- say no evidence of toxic effects ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly two decades after the first Gulf war and six years after Saddam Hussein was removed from power, Iraq still is subject to 73 United Nations resolutions. A March 1991 photo shows burning oil wells in Kuwait damaged by Iraq military forces. Now Iraq's foreign minister says his country \"will not regain full sovereignty and independence without getting rid of these resolutions.\" Speaking to reporters in Washington, Hoshyar Zebari said Monday that Iraq has paid \"billions\" of dollars under Chapter 7 of the U.N. sanctions placed on Iraq as a result of the 1990 Iraq invasion of Kuwait and subsequent war. The U.N. Security Council is reviewing the sanctions, and Zebari said he had \"intensive discussions\" in New York with members of the Security Council. He said \"I think the outcome is positive.\" \"We felt a great deal of good will that, really, time has come for Iraq to get rid of all these restrictions and to regain its international standing and position as a normal country.\" The Iraqi foreign minister said bringing Iraq out of Chapter 7 is an \"American commitment also\" since Iraq signed the status of forces agreement with the United States, which governs the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, based on its understanding that the U.S. would help Iraq to come out of Chapter 7. Foreign Minister Zebari said the sanctions impose a heavy burden on Iraq -- it continues to pay 5 percent of its oil revenues to Kuwait, down from the initial 30 percent. Iraq's security forces, he told reporters, have \"proven they are capable of defending themselves and the country.\" In the next six months, however, he said, the country faces some risks. \"What can be seen as problems could become crises unless this administration keeps its focus and support to push the situation forward; otherwise this overall strategy of responsible redeployment could be undermined.\" If that happens, Zebari said, it \"will impact what the U.S. is doing in the Middle East, in the Arab peace process, with Iran, even in Afghanistan because Iraq is such a crucial player in the region.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Iraq's FM says his country won't be fully independent until U.N. sanctions end .\nIraq has paid \"billions of dollars\" under U.N.'s Chapter 7, foreign minister says .\n\"Intensive discussions\" held with Security Council members, minister says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI preached and greeted well-wishers Sunday, three days after breaking his wrist in a fall. The pope celebrates mass with his broken wrist in plaster. He held the text of his speech in his uninjured left hand, then circulated among the crowd who came to hear him in Romano Canavese, pictures from the northern Italian town showed. The 82-year-old pope had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN on Friday. The pope is \"learning\" to live with his cast, Lombardi told Vatican Radio. The most painful aspect of the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand, which he had intended to do frequently during his annual vacation Italy's Val d'Aosta region, Lombardi told the official Vatican station. \"I know that here, too, in the Ivera region, many families are facing economic hard times due to a lack of work,\" he said, referring to the now-defunct Olivetti typewriter manufacturer in the region. \"Dear friend, do not be discouraged,\" he added, according to Agence-France Presse. \"Providence always helps those who do the right thing and seek justice; it also helps those who think not only of themselves, but also think of those in worse situations than their own.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pope preaches and greeted well-wishers, three days after breaking his wrist .\nBenedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night .\nMost painful aspect for pope is having to stop writing by hand, spokesman says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Seventh graders at Ron Clark Academy became an overnight sensation during the presidential election when their YouTube performance of \"You Can Vote However You Like\" catapulted them to online stardom. \"The higher the expectations, the higher the results,\" says Ron Clark, seen here with his students. Now, their creative and scholastic talents have proved the students to be more than just \"one hit wonders.\" Academy students showcased their poetry and writings for CNN's documentary \"Black in America 2,\" hosted by Soledad O'Brien. Cultivating student creativity is just one of the goals of academy founder Ron Clark, an enigmatic educator known for his unconventional teaching methods. Under his strict tutelage, students at Ron Clark -- who are predominantly African-American -- are expected to excel in all subjects and maintain a high standard of respect for their peers and teachers. \"I'm teaching an eighth-grade curriculum to fifth-graders,\" says Clark. \"Some people say my expectations of the kids, academically, is too high, but the higher the expectations, the higher the results.\" But with high academic expectations come an equally high quotient for fun. It's become one of Clark's trademarks: singing and dancing to popular rap and R&B songs during class to get the kids engaged. \"My first day at Ron Clark Academy, I thought all the teachers were psychopaths,\" says seventh-grader Jai Springs. \"I thought Ron Clark was going crazy. He was up in front of the kids on desks, he was dancing. ... I never saw a teacher get up on a desk and dance. But now I'm used to it, so I get up on the desk and dance too,\" says Jai. Clark, formerly a schoolteacher from South Carolina, founded the academy with money he earned from his book titled The Essential 55, which detail Clark's 55 golden rules for success -- in and out of the classroom. Clark was invited to be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show after winning Disney Teacher of the Year Award in 2001. Oprah believed so much in the well-mannered Southern school teacher from South Carolina that she encouraged him to write the book. Later she promoted The Essential 55 on her show, prompting it's ascension to New York Times bestseller list. Together with co-founder Kim Bearden, Clark transformed a decaying factory in a rough part of Atlanta, Georgia, into a state-of-the-art educational model for middle schools across the country. Soon after the school opened its doors in 2008, a Christmas package from Winfrey arrived for Clark in the form of a $365,000 grant, or \"a thousand dollars for each day of the year,\" as Oprah referred to it in the letter. Then came the elections, with a tight presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and John McCain of Arizona. Inspired by rapper T.I.'s hit song \"Whatever You Like,\" Clark's seventh grade class penned their own lyrics and dance moves. The students' performance carried a message: Cast your ballot because you support a candidate's policies rather than just his skin color. When they perform the song, half the seventh grade class touts the virtues of GOP's McCain while the other half root for Democrat Obama: \"Obama on the left. McCain on the right. We can talk politics all night. And you can vote however you like.\" The students \"can talk politics with the best of them,\" says Clark. Video clips of the kids performing have garnered over 15 million hits on YouTube. \"We got lots of media attention. But when the media arrived to the school they realized the song is not the story, it's the kids,\" says Clark. One of Clark's credos is teaching a \"global curriculum\" with a heavy emphasis on current events. Himself an avid world traveler, Clark believes it's essential for his students to travel to other countries to develop an understanding and appreciation of the world in which they live. Through Delta's corporate sponsorship of the school, administrators have been able to send all 100 of their fifth to eighth grade students abroad before they graduate. \"I'm not nearly as shy as I used to be,\" says seventh-grader Chi Chi Kasarachi after her first year at the academy. \"My knowledge of the world has improved, I know more about what's going on in other countries and I'm more curious about things. ... I'm just hungry for knowledge,\" says Chi Chi. In fact, the students at Ron Clark Academy are better versed in current events and politics than many adults. \"I never thought I'd be interested in watching the news,\" says seventh-grader Osei Avril. \"Now I find it interesting because I have learned the stories behind the news,\" he says. Osei -- who pronounces Iranian President Ahmadinajad's name perfectly -- says he's interested in learning about world issues such as the Iranian elections, the Taliban in Pakistan, and the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. \"At the beginning,\" says Clark, \"the kids will say something like 'I've been to East Point [a suburb of South Atlanta]. After a few years they've been to Kenya, Japan, or South Africa, or England. ... They've become very comfortable with understanding the country and understanding themselves.\" But it's not just the travel or even the singing and dancing to rap music that make the school so special, say the students. It's the academy teachers' creative ways of instilling education, solid values, and a passion for learning. \"They want you to pass the people at the top,\" says Jai. \"To be at the top nonstop, be at your fullest, to be creative, to think out of the box.\" But school isn't all fun and games, she says. Clark is a strict disciplinarian that expects -- and enforces -- model behavior from all of the students. \"I love Mr. Clark with all my heart, he's like a father to me,\" says Chi Chi. \"He might fuss a lot, but I know he's doing it for our own good.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ron Clark Academy students' '08 YouTube rap performance got millions of hits .\nClark teaches \"global curriculum\" with heavy emphasis on current events .\n\"I'm teaching an eigthth-grade curriculum to fifth graders,\" says Clark .\nStudent: \"My knowledge of the world has improved. ... I'm hungry for knowledge\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (CNN) -- Honduras' interim government on Sunday rejected a proposal to reinstate ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya, ending a round of negotiations aimed at resolving the country's political crisis. Jose Manuel Zelaya was ousted from the Honduran presidency on June 28. The proposal had been presented by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, who was mediating the talks between the two Honduran sides at his home over the weekend. \"I'm very sorry, but the proposal you presented [is] unacceptable by the government of Honduras that I represent,\" Carlos Lopez, who was representing interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti at the weekend negotiations, said of the proposal advanced by Arias. Representatives of Zelaya, who was ousted in a June 28 coup, said this marked the end of talks with Honduras' interim government. The weekend's talks were the second attempt by Arias to negotiate a resolution. He vowed Sunday to continue his mediation efforts. \"I want to take 72 hours to continue working, even more arduously this time, to see if we can really reach an agreement between the parties in this conflict,\" Arias said. Arias expressed concern that violence could ignite in Honduras if the sides stop talking, and that a civil war could result. Shortly after announcing the end of the negotiations, Lopez indicated in an interview with CNN en Español that Micheletti's delegation would be open to further talks in the future. At a news conference later Sunday, the head of the Organization of American States said he had been enthusiastic about the proposal advanced by Arias. \"We regret deeply the attitude of Micheletti,\" said OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza. \"I think [the proposal] was a good one.\" The proposal, presented by Arias to both sides on Saturday, would have returned Zelaya to the Honduran presidency. It would also have compelled Zelaya to abandon efforts to modify the country's presidential term limits. In remarks to reporters before starting Sunday's talks, representatives of Zelaya said he accepted the seven-point proposal. Micheletti has said he would not accept Zelaya's return as president, and remarks by Zelaya printed in a Brazilian newspaper contradicted Zelaya's acceptance of the proposal, Micheletti negotiator Arturo Corrales said. In Sunday's editions of the Folha newspaper, Zelaya was quoted in support of continuing with his push for a reform to term limits. \"We cannot betray the people and abandon the process,\" the paper quoted Zelaya as saying. \"Yesterday they said one thing, and today another,\" Micheletti negotiator Corrales said, adding that Zelaya's remarks broke the good faith behind the talks. The newspaper, however, noted that Zelaya was interviewed one day before he agreed to Arias' seven-point proposal. Zelaya was removed from office June 28 in a military-led coup that has drawn international condemnation. Congressional leader Micheletti was sworn in hours later as provisional president. Micheletti and his supporters, including the Honduran supreme court, congress and the military, argue that the action was not a coup, but a constitutional transfer of power. Other steps proposed by Arias included moving up elections scheduled for late November, establishing a national unity government, providing amnesty for all political crimes and setting up an international commission to oversee implementation of the accord. Under Arias' proposal, oversight of the Honduran military would have switched from the executive branch of government to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal one month before the elections. Delegations representing Zelaya and Micheletti also met at Arias' home in Costa Rica last week but did not reach an accord. Zelaya, a leftist who took office in 2006 on a narrow victory, had been at odds with Honduran lawmakers, the country's supreme court and the military over his attempts for a referendum. He sought the referendum, which he planned to hold last month, to see if voters wanted a measure on November's ballot to establish a constitutional assembly to study whether a president could run for re-election. Under the current charter, a president can serve only one four-year term. Congress had forbidden the referendum and the supreme court ruled it illegal. The military declined to participate in its usual role of safeguarding the vote, saying it could not take part in an illegal act. Zelaya vowed to hold the vote anyway, but was toppled before the voting started." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Talks between Honduras' interim government, ousted president end without deal .\nInterim government's representative: Proposal to reinstate Zelaya \"unacceptable\"\nZelaya had OK'd proposal presented by Costa Rican president, who was mediating .\nZelaya was removed from office June 28 after he pushed for term-limit reform ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- While many now recognize the scientific explanation for a solar eclipse, the phenomenon is still marked with tradition and sometimes suspicion in Hindu-majority India. People test the \"sky watching telescope\" at the Gujarat Council of Science City in India. The \"exceptionally long\" eclipse that will cross half the planet Wednesday will be able to be seen by virtually all of the population of China and India. For beggars in India, the occasion means an extra day of receiving alms and food. The panhandler in Sandeep Jaggi's neighborhood normally visits the block every week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, as well as the days of a new and full moon. And because his patrons mark an eclipse with alms-giving, prayers and bathing, he rarely misses the chance to meet them on this day as well. \"It's a family tradition and I follow it,\" says 34-year-old Jaggi. He will fill the beggar's small steel pail with mustard oil and coins and his disheveled sash with lentils. For others in the country, the eclipse is not a reason to celebrate, but a more ominous phenomenon. Send us your photos of the eclipse . Most pregnant women hope to avoid giving birth during an eclipse. \"None of the expectant mothers under my treatment are willing to have deliveries on Wednesday,\" Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynecologist at New Delhi's Fortis La Femme hospital, told CNN. In fact, there are critically ill patients who do not want to be in the hospital on the day of the eclipse, she said. Indian astrologers even advise expectant mothers to stay indoors when this celestial event occurs. \"It may not cause any physical harm to the baby, but it may affect the child's overall personality,\" said R.K. Sharma, who describes himself as a \"remedial astrologer.\" A solar eclipse, he says, weakens the sun god temporarily because of an encounter with dragon Rahu and leaves some cascading results everywhere. \"Bathing in holy rivers and ponds during this time thus helps protect health and develop positivism and greater will power,\" he explained. About 1.5 million people are expected at one such pond -- the Brahmsarovar, or the pool of Hindu god Brahma -- in northern India on Wednesday. \"They offer prayers to the sun god and take holy dips during an eclipse,\" said Ashok Kumar Bansal, the sub-divisional magistrate of Kurukshetra, an ancient Hindu city. But the century's longest total solar eclipse is not just about the dragon-sun combat, it also means business for some. Travel firms in India have plans in place to cash in on the phenomenon. Cox and Kings India has a planeload of eclipse watchers heading for the eastern state of Bihar, one of the most preferred locations for sighting the event. The plane will hover over Gaya in Bihar and return to New Delhi the same day, company spokesman Thomas C. Thottathil told CNN. Passengers were given two options: to book a \"sunside\" seat facing the eclipse for about $1,640, or reserve an \"earthside\" seat for about $610, Thottathil added. \"And it's a sold out flight now!\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Solar eclipse marked with tradition and often suspicion in Hindu-majority India .\nMost pregnant women in India hope to avoid giving birth during eclipse .\nSome critically ill patients do not want to be in hospital on day of eclipse .\nAstrologer: Eclipse weakens sun god because of encounter with dragon Rahu ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- A federal judge ordered 10 municipal police officers arrested Saturday in connection with the slayings of 12 off-duty federal agents in southwestern Mexico, the attorney general's office said. The recent spate of violence was sparked by the arrest of high-ranking drug cartel member Arnoldo Rueda Medina. The federal officers' bodies were found Tuesday on a remote highway in Michoacan state, where at least 18 federal agents and two soldiers have been killed since July 11 due to drug-related violence. Video from the scene showed three signs, known as narcomensajes, or narcomessages, left by the killers. They all stated the same thing: \"So that you come for another. We will be waiting for you here.\" The officers arrested Saturday are on the police force in the city of Arteaga. Mexican President Felipe Calderon, whose home state is Michoacan, responded to the violence by dispatching 1,000 federal police officers to the area. The infusion, which more than tripled the number of federal police officers patrolling Michoacan, angered Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy Rangel. He called it an occupation and said he had not been consulted. Authorities said Wednesday they were searching for the governor's half-brother, who they say is a top-ranking member of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel. The cartel is blamed for most of the recent violence in the state. The governor's brother, Julio Cesar Godoy Toscano, was elected July 5 to the lower house of Congress. The governor has publicly urged his brother to surrender. There were no reports of his apprehension as of late Saturday. The sudden spike in violence followed the arrest July 11 of Arnoldo Rueda Medina, described as a high-ranking member of La Familia. La Familia members attacked the federal police station in Morelia to try to gain freedom for Rueda shortly after his arrest, authorities said. When that failed, cartel members attacked federal police installations in at least a half-dozen Michoacan cities. Under Mexican law, the officers arrested Saturday will be held for 40 days while officials determine whether to formally charge them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Officers arrested Saturday are on the police force in the city of Arteaga .\nSlain agents were found Tuesday on a remote highway in Michoacan state .\nGovernor calls infusion of federal agents in Michoacan an occupation .\nGovernor's half-brother, said to be key figure in drug cartel, still at large ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Video showing Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, is just another example of how captors use the medium for psychological warfare. U.S. Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, who was held by insurgents in Iraq, prepares to enter a plane to safety. The latest video shows Bergdahl, of Ketchum, Idaho, looking comfortable and eating food. While he expresses concern about not seeing his family and girlfriend again, he does appear to speak calmly and has no visible signs of abuse. \"I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America, and I miss them every day that I'm gone,\" he says in a 28-minute video released by his captors. \"I miss them, and I'm afraid I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them.\" But that is in stark contrast to the well-publicized captures of U.S. servicemen and women in conflicts past. Vietnam . Sen. John McCain, whose plane was shot down during a combat mission over Vietnam in 1967, is considered one of the most famous prisoners of war. He was captured by the Communist Viet Cong and spent nearly six years in a prisoner of war camp, where he was often tortured. A grainy black-and-white film released by his captors showed a severely injured McCain talking on camera in the so-called \"Hanoi Hilton.\" McCain later refused to be released before other prisoners. He eventually returned to the United States in 1973. \"During the years, we were kept in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell because they didn't want us to see each other. We'd spend all our time tapping on the walls to each other and encouraging each other and organizing, organizing, organizing with our chain of command. The days and hours go by,\" McCain told CNN's John King last year. Iraq . And most recently, in 2003, video from Iraq painted a picture of an unruly and chaotic terror organization holding U.S. soldiers captured in the Iraq military theater. Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson was shown on videotape being interrogated -- with five other soldiers including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was badly wounded and was held prisoner at a separate location. Nine of their fellow soldiers were killed when their convoy was ambushed. Johnson appeared frightened, with her eyes darting quickly left and right. \"I was terrified. I didn't know what was going to happen to me,\" Johnson said in a past CNN interview. \"And I was in a lot of pain.\" Lynch's videotaped rescue made her a celebrity, and she was used by the Pentagon to put a face on the men and women who were fighting the war against the regime of Saddam Hussein. Johnson and the other POWs spent 22 days as prisoners until Marines rescued them. Chris Voss, a former lead international kidnapping coordinator for the FBI, says that as a lesson from the Johnson video, the Taliban may have learned to try to appear more political than radical. \"They're hoping that ... this gets to other media outlets that will make them appear so that they are a reasonable political force,\" he says. \"There is very much a lack of overthreat in the [Bergdahl] video, and they clearly thought this through ... specifically strategic for these purposes.\" Somalia . Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Durant, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, was shot down in 1993 during a combat mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. The body of one of his fellow pilots being dragged through the streets was captured on video. After the crash, he was captured by a mob and held for 11 days. Durant suffered several serious injuries, including a broken back and face and leg wounds. He was later released. His bloodied and bruised face was splashed on the covers of several national magazines, including Time and Newsweek, and on TV networks. His story later inspired Mark Bowden's bestseller \"Black Hawk Down\" and a movie by director Ridley Scott. Voss says his image was depicted in a different way than others had been. \"The media picked that up and ran in a way that was very accusatory towards the United States,\" he says. \"There were pictures of Mike Durant in a clearly beaten-up condition, and the captions in the various national magazines were, 'What in the world are we doing?' \" Voss says that from that incident, the United States may have learned to apply the mostly mum stance it's using during the Bergdahl capture. \"The U.S. government gave a knee-jerk reaction to that, which I think they've learned from,\" he says. \"So how this plays out in the media, the Taliban is being very cautious to appear to be reasonable ... because they don't want to make themselves look like they're fanatical. They are trying to be very reasonable.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl was captured nearly three weeks ago in Afghanistan .\nSen. John McCain is considered one of the most famous prisoners of war .\nVideo of captured soldiers in Iraq painted a picture of rogue captors ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Alicia A.S. Duque knew she had some pounds to lose, but she had no idea how much being overweight affected her until the television cameras started rolling. Alicia Duque performs with her partner on Oxygen's new hit \"Dance Your Ass Off.\" \"Going into it, I knew it was a TV show, I knew it was a weight-loss show and I knew it was a dance show, but I didn't think I was going to learn so much about myself through the process,\" said the 23-year-old Duque, a contestant on the new show \"Dance Your Ass Off.\" \"I didn't know how many issues and problems I had with my weight until I faced it on the show.\" Duque's struggle with weight loss is one of many on television that is resonating with those tuning into programming aimed at and featuring the plus-sized. Style Network's \"Ruby,\" NBC's \"The Biggest Loser,\" Lifetime's \"Drop Dead Diva\" and Fox's forthcoming dating show \"More to Love\" all center on the overweight and are tapping into an audience that can relate to the desire to shed a few pounds. Obesity has risen dramatically in the United States during the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And this year television has seen an increase in shows featuring participants and stars who look more like the viewing public. Oxygen Channel's \"Dance Your Ass Off\" combines elements of ABC's \"Dancing With The Stars\" and NBC's \"The Biggest Loser.\" Contestants learn dance routines for which they are judged before weighing in to determine how much they have lost. Amy Introcaso-Davis, senior vice president of original programming and development at Oxygen, said dance and diet are two areas of interest for younger viewers of the channel, so combining the two made sense. The 12 contestants, from the smallest to the largest, have struck a chord with viewers, she said. \"People find the contestants so relatable,\" she said. \"We cast very purposely across the board in terms of how many pounds people needed to lose -- we had anywhere from people who needed to lose 40 [pounds] to over 150.\" The premier of \"Dance\" rated highly for Oxygen, with more than 1 million viewers tuning in. Oxygen also found success earlier with \"Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance,\" a plus-size pageant where women of substance strutted their stuff to be crowned \"Miss Fabulous And Thick.\" For a nation grappling with obesity, Introcaso-Davis said, there is a hunger for such shows. \"If you have five pounds to lose or you have 150 pounds to lose, it's something you think about all day long,\" she said. \"You take a bite of cheesecake and you think 'Should I be doing this?' \" Esther Rothblum, a professor of women's studies at San Diego State University and co-editor of the forthcoming anthology \"The Fat Studies Reader,\" said she wonders if part of the appeal of plus-sized shows stems from the overweight being held up for public ridicule. The subject of her book is an emerging field that has been defined as \"confronting and critiquing cultural constraints\" against notions of \"fatness\" and \"the fat body.\" \"Most people feel too fat in this country and are made to feel very unhappy with their bodies,\" she said. \"So by portraying somebody who weighs so much more than they do, it's almost a way to make the audience feel like 'I could look worse' or 'At least I'm not them.' \" Ruby Gettinger said she supports any show that does not mock the overweight. Her hit show \"Ruby\" started out as a documentary and has transformed Gettinger into a reality star who has lost more than 100 pounds and appeared on \"Oprah.\" \"We are really all on this journey together, and I tell [viewers] that all of the time,\" said Gettinger, who at her heaviest weighed 716 pounds. \"There are a lot of shows out there and I think people are trying to find a way to beat it and lose weight.\" Gettinger, who is traveling around the country walking in various cities to inspire fans to become more active, said shows featuring the obese can really touch the audience if they are authentic. \"[My show] is the truth, not to say that the others aren't,\" she said. \"When I started out on this journey and met with Style [Network, which airs the show] I said 'I have to keep my truth because this is about my journey and addiction and I want to deal with that because too many people are struggling.' \" Her show portrays her grappling with everything from temptation to embarrassment at having to visit the gynecologist, but Gettinger said it's all worth it if it inspires others. Actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, who starred in the Broadway musical \"Hairspray,\" said she agreed to host \"Dance Your Ass Off\" because she saw the potential for inspiration in viewers witnessing overweight people being active and feeling confident and sexy -- even in skimpy dance outfits. Reality television has become so popular because viewers are attracted to watching real people, and there is a craving for viewers to see folks like themselves, she said. \"It became that so many people on reality shows were only beautiful skinny people, and I think a lot of people got sick of that,\" said Winokur, who has been blogging about her own struggles with weight for People magazine. \"Really, who's home watching TV is the everyday person who is not a TV model. I think there is much more interest in watching people like yourself.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Shows about and featuring the overweight are flourishing .\n\"Dance Your Ass Off\" drew more than a million viewers for its premier .\nStar of show says programs resonate because of truth .\nProfessor wonders if shows inspire ridicule of the overweight ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A North Carolina man is accused of arranging to have his wife raped through personal ads on the Web site Craigslist, police said Wednesday. The 25-year-old man, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, was arrested in connection with the incident that occurred at his home early Sunday, police said in a statement. Police responded to the home at about 2:45 a.m. after receiving a 911 call indicating a male armed with a knife appeared in the couple's bedroom and sexually assaulted the man's wife, authorities said. The man was present at the time of the assault, and two young children were in the home, but were unharmed and unaware of the incident, the police statement said. \"During the investigation, investigators interviewed the victim and her husband,\" the statement said. \"Investigators became suspicious when they noticed there was no sign of forced entry to the home. Investigators also developed information that led them to note specific inconsistencies in the initial statement provided by [the man].\" But on Tuesday, police found that the man \"had responded to at least two personal ads on Craigslist.com in an effort to arrange for someone to come to his home and have sex with his wife using some type of scare tactic.\" \"Investigators believe [he] arranged this incident without the knowledge or consent of the victim,\" the police statement said. The woman was taken to a hospital after the assault, where she underwent a forensic examination and was interviewed, police said. She suffered no serious physical injuries and was released shortly afterward. Police did not release the identity of the victim. CNN is not naming the victim's husband in an effort to avoid identifying her. The incident remains under investigation, police said. The man faces charges including first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sexual offense and one count of attempted first-degree sexual offense, according to the police statement. Kannapolis is about 26 miles northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Police: Man arranged wife's rape through ads on Craigslist.com .\nMale appeared in bedroom and sexually assaulted man's wife Sunday, police say .\nAttacker was armed; husband was in bedroom at the time, police say .\nHusband charged with rape, sexual offense ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two federal agencies warned consumers Friday not to eat raw Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough. Consumers are advised to throw out all prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products. The company said it is recalling an estimated 300,000 cases of the dough as a precaution after reports of food-borne illness in 28 states. There are concerns that the premade dough may be contaminated with the bacterium E. coli 0157:H7, which causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Young children and the elderly can suffer more serious symptoms. Nestle issued a statement saying, \"While the E. coli strain implicated in this investigation has not been detected in our product, the health and safety of our consumers is paramount, so we are initiating this voluntary recall.\" According to Nestle spokeswoman Laurie MacDonald, raw dough was one of the things the sick people reported eating. \"The health and safety of our consumers is our No. 1 priority,\" she said. \"We felt the best thing to do is a voluntary recall.\" She said the company was informed by the FDA Wednesday night \"and immediately took action.\" \"We really want to remind consumers that raw cookie dough should not be eaten,\" she said. Since March, the CDC says, 66 people have become sick in 28 states after eating raw cookie dough. Twenty-five people were hospitalized. No one has died. The FDA and the CDC say people who have become sick after eating refrigerated Toll House cookie dough should contact their doctors. They advise consumers to throw out all prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products. Retailers and restaurateurs should not sell or serve any Toll House cookie dough products, the agencies said. The company said the market share for Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough for the most recent 52-week period was 41 percent. The recall does not include already-baked Toll House cookies, varieties of Toll House morsels, chocolate baking bars or cocoa or Dreyer's and Edy's ice cream products with Nestle Toll House cookie dough ingredients." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "300,000 cases of Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough being recalled .\n66 cases of food-borne illness reported in 28 states; dough is one common link .\nDough may be contaminated with E. coli, which causes gastric symptoms .\nNestle: E. coli not detected in product; recall is safety precaution ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- When Neil Armstrong took one small step onto the moon in 1969, it seemed only a matter of time before the advent of thriving space colonies and summer vacations on distant planets. But after an initial flurry of moon landings, manned lunar expeditions dwindled: the last time an astronaut left his footprints on the moon was in 1972. Plants such as lettuce, peppers and tomatoes will be on the menu at Moon Base One. Then, in January 2004, President Bush announced NASA's intention to return humans to the moon by 2020, and in 2006, NASA announced plans to set up a manned lunar outpost by 2024, with the European and Russian Space Agencies now planning bases of their own. After years in limbo, the dream of living in space is alive once more. Sustaining long-term space habitation presents space agencies with a whole new set of technological and logistical challenges. Currently, the International Space Station supports three astronauts in a low Earth orbit, with food supplied periodically by space shuttle. But, just as home cooking is cheaper than getting takeout, when it comes to more permanent settlements, this kind of supply voyages would be prohibitively expensive: we will need to grow our own food in space. Raymond Wheeler, a plant physiologist at Kennedy Space Center, explained to CNN, \"In the near term it's not needed, for example on the space station and initial short sorties to the moon, but as you go further and stay longer, regenerative systems become much more cost effective.\" Wheeler sees this development of space farming as a gradual process in which space outposts become increasingly self-sufficient. \"It would probably be evolutionary,\" he said. \"The first human missions to Mars might set out with everything stowed, but they might set up the beginnings of an in-situ production system -- maybe a plant chamber -- that you could use to grow perishable foods. You wouldn't be providing everything, but in subsequent missions if you returned there you could expand the infrastructure.\" Of course, this means growing plants in conditions very different from those on Earth. Yet research has shown that plants are surprisingly adaptable. For example, while plants normally use gravity to direct the growth of their stems and roots, in low gravity conditions they can use light to orient themselves. And research suggests that plants can grow well even at very low atmospheric pressures. That reduces the leakage of oxygen and carbon dioxide from their growth chamber out into space, but crucially, it also reduces the structural requirements of a \"space greenhouse,\" meaning less construction material needs to be shipped into orbit. Nor is the absence of soil a problem. Many supermarket vegetables are already grown hydroponically in nutrient-enriched water, and research indicates this technique could work well in space. Some have even suggested the loose rock regolith on the surface of the moon or Mars as a growing medium, although additional minerals would need to be brought from Earth. So what's on the menu at Moon Base One? Well, initial crops would need to be small in stature and grow well in controlled environments with artificial light. Plants such as peppers and tomatoes are already extensively grown hydroponically, while lettuce, with its short lifecycle, would yield fast returns for pioneering space colonists. But again, Wheeler sees the choice of crops as part of an evolutionary process. He tells CNN, \"The first things you might grow would be perishable foods -- maybe vegetables or fruits -- things that don't keep very well if you're on a journey to Mars. Even though you're not providing a lot of calories, these things could have a strong impact in terms of adding color, flavor and texture to the diet.\" \"The other reason for considering freshly consumed foods on early missions is that they don't require any processing,\" he continued. \"If you were to grow grains, like wheat, you'd have to thresh the seed out of the head, then clean it and mill it to make flour. Staple crops like wheat, soy bean, rice and potato -- things that would provide carbohydrates, protein and fat -- they're the final end point.\" Crops need a sheltered environment, protected from the extreme temperatures and frightening levels of radiation found on the moon's surface, with water, carbon dioxide and light. Researchers at the University of Arizona's Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC), in collaboration with Sadler Machine Company (SMC), have come up with one solution: to house plants and astronauts in an inflatable habitat. They are working on a full-scale prototype Mars Inflatable Greenhouse. Space-worthy inflatable structures have been around since the 1960s and are lightweight, compact in transit and easy to assemble on landing. But what's novel about the CEAC design is that it incorporates a bio-regenerative life-support system -- the kind of technology that could one day not only feed an outpost on the moon or Mars, but also provide it with oxygen and recycle its water. Gene Giacomelli, Director of CEAC, told CNN, \"If people get to Mars we want to be able to feed them, but maybe even more importantly revitalize the atmosphere -- allow the plants to consume the carbon dioxide as they do so well here on Earth, and provide oxygen.\" In the prototype designed by Phil Sadler (SMC) and evaluated by Giacomelli and graduate student Lane Patterson, plants are grown hydroponically. As water evaporates from their leaves, air moisture is condensed and re-used for irrigation. The inedible bits of plants, the stems and leaves, are fed into a composter that breaks down the biomass, releasing carbon dioxide that can be re-used by growing plants. In a working moon base, waste water from the astronauts' showers and laundry could also go into the composter, where it would be cleaned by microbes and then used in the plants' hydroponic system, before being condensed and re-used by the astronauts once again. The CEAC team intends to test the finished prototype in Antarctica, a harsh and remote environment that provides a realistic analog of conditions on the moon. The team has already provided a food growth chamber for the Amundsen-Scott South-Pole Station and the time Sadler and Patterson have spent there has provided a unique insight into some of the other benefits that bio-regenerative life support might provide for inhabitants of a space base. \"It's not just oxygen, fresh water and food that it provides, but it's also the green, living plants that psychologically become so important to people living and working in a confined, harsh, black and white space at the South Pole or in a moon or Mars base,\" says Giacomelli. Patterson adds, \"Bright lights, high humidity, green plants and the fragrance as well -- these are things that are missing in that environment. Those things shouldn't be underestimated.\" The CEAC project offers a tantalizing glimpse of the kind of habitat that may house settlers in the space colonies of the future. And perhaps one day, as you relax in your inflatable villa by the Sea of Tranquility, plants will provide much more than just your dinner. ................................................................................................................... Do you think farming on the moon will be a reality by 2024? Should man be developing stations on the moon? Send us your thoughts by using the \"Sound Off\" below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NASA plans lunar outpost by 2024 .\nLong-term space habitation will require space farming .\nCEAC and SMC working on prototype Mars Inflatable Greenhouse .\nGreenhouse could provide food, oxygen and recycle water ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- No drawn butter will ever touch Fiona's tail. She's an extremely rare, seven-year-old \"yellow\" lobster. Fiona's colorful hue makes her a one-in-30 million rarity. Fiona belongs to Nathan Nickerson, the owner of Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar in Eastham, Massachusetts, who has been in the restaurant business for 32 years. The special lobster was caught off the coast of eastern Canada last week by a friend of Nickerson. \"In 57 years in Cape Cod, I have never seen a yellow lobster and I doubt that I will ever see one again,\" he said Thursday. Experts say Fiona's colorful appearance makes her one in 30 million. Fiona's not really yellow, but more of a bright orange, She's not quite the red color your typical lobster looks after it's been cooked. Nickerson has plans for his new ocean-dwelling friend, but it has nothing to do with the boiling pot. He said he'll keep the 1.75-pound crustacean in a viewing tank at his restaurant, hoping to draw in a few extra customers. CNN's Samuel Gardner contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rare \"yellow\" lobster making waves at Massachusetts restaurant .\nFiona was caught off coast of eastern Canada, given to restaurant owner .\nHer colorful appearance makes her 1 in 30 million rarity .\nOwner has no cooking plans for Fiona ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- We all know what happens when urban sprawl gets out of control: Commutes back up, smog thickens, and concrete suburbs gobble up green spaces. The oceans are growing crowded, and governments are increasingly trying to plan their use. But what about \"ocean sprawl\"? Until recently, no one gave that idea much thought. But the oceans, like the land, have gotten crowded, and now scientists and policy makers are looking for ways to plan ocean development -- with the aim of preventing our public-owned seas from turning into sprawling, watery versions of Houston, Texas, or Atlanta, Georgia. \"The oceans are kind of the last frontier for use and development,\" said Amanda Leland, ocean policy director at the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy group. \"Even in the 1970s we thought that the oceans were limitless resources of fish. We know today now that fisheries are collapsing all around the world.\" In an attempt to address this and other crowding problems, governments are for the first time devising comprehensive plans for their marine waters. The Obama administration on June 12 announced a task force devoted to federal ocean planning. By September, the group must recommend a national policy on the subject that's designed to protect ocean ecology, address climate change and promote sustainable ocean economies. A handful of states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, are charting similar courses. Massachusetts on June 30 published a draft plan for its coastal waters, which is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year. One of the state's main aims is to make space for two ocean wind farms -- taking up 2 percent of the state's waters -- without angering fishing industries, killing whales or harming ecosystems. Internationally, several European countries, including Denmark, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France, are pioneering the new field, said Fanny Douvere, a co-principal investigator at UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Ocean advocates say these planning processes are urgently needed and have been a long time in coming. One reason it's taken so long is that people can't see that the oceans are filling up, said Sandra Whitehouse, a marine biologist and senior adviser at the Ocean Conservancy, an environmental group. \"The majority of the ecosystem is under the water,\" Whitehouse said. \"So it's out of sight, out of mind. We're only looking at the surface.\" Beneath the water, though, overfishing has caused some fish stocks to collapse. By one report, wild fish could disappear by mid-century. The energy sector threatens to take up large chunks of water. Shipping lanes cross the paths of endangered whales. Fish farms are growing in some countries. Climate change is altering ocean chemistry. And power lines, reefs, lobster traps and sunken ships compete for seafloor space. In Europe's North Sea, expanding industries have tried to claim three times the amount of ocean space than is available, said Douvere, of UNESCO. What happens on land also affects the oceans. A 2003 report by the Pew Oceans Commission says that each year, coastal development destroys 20,000 acres of estuaries and near-coast fish habitat. Furthermore, pavement on land creates \"expressways\" for oil and other pollutants to run into the ocean. \"Every eight months, nearly 11 million gallons of oil run off our streets and driveways into our waters -- the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez oil spill,\" the report says. When the renewable energy sector started trying to move into the sea, the situation went from crowded to unmanageable and without a clear plan, said Whitehouse, of the Ocean Conservancy. \"There's a lot of pressure to be able to harness this energy,\" she said, \"but it's very important that this be done in a proactive and comprehensive way, because we also have so many important economic aspects of our oceans.\" Since there are new uses but not new space, planning is necessary, said Charles Ehler, another co-principal investigator at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. He added, \"There's not enough space for everything, and there are going to have to be trade-offs that are made.\" Current efforts focus on broad public interest rather than specific conflicts, Ehler said. Until now, the ocean primarily was divvied up in a sort of \"free-for-all\" in which \"whoever gets there first gets the access,\" he said. Leland, of the Environmental Defense Fund, said the patchwork of federal agencies managing the oceans in the United States contributes to the problem. More than 140 federal laws govern the ocean's use; and six federal departments, along with dozens of agencies, are in charge of implementing those laws, according to the Pew Oceans Commission report. Charles M. Wahle, a marine ecologist and senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Obama's ocean-planning efforts are a complete shift in thinking. \"We're acknowledging that we want and need to use the ocean in a lot of different ways,\" he said. \"They all have standing, and we need to figure out a way to allocate them fairly and sustainably.\" He added, \"Fifty years from now, you should be able to go to a place [in the ocean] and know what will be happening there.\" There are skeptics of the shift. Commercial fisheries are hampered by current regulations and could be further harmed if the ocean is divided up among too many groups, said Jim Ruhle, president of Commercial Fishermen of America, an industry group. \"We make our livelihoods from that ocean, and we want to make sure that we have reasonable plans in effect to allow that to take place,\" he said. Some other fishing groups oppose new ocean uses, like offshore wind energy, entirely. Despite this new emphasis on planning, there's still a chance that ocean waters could go the way of haphazard cities. \"The proof will be in the pudding,\" said Wahle, of NOAA. But he said it's exciting that so many groups are on board for a new way of thinking. \"If we do our jobs right, overall, the oceans will be healthier, ecosystems will be more productive, people will derive more services and benefits and value from those ecosystems,\" he said, \"and industry will be able to plan and commit and invest in ways that actually work.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The oceans are growing crowded, and some scientists worry about \"ocean sprawl\"\nFor the first time, governments plan ocean use in a comprehensive way .\nAdvocate says oceans are the \"last frontier for use and development\"\nPresident Obama creates task force to map out the future of the oceans ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Budget Travel) -- With rates as low as $36, these flashy new European hotels take the convenience of the pod concept and expand it with style. Qbic hotels have a clever lighting concept -- Deep Purple Love, anyone? You can pick the color you like, or turn them off altogether. YOTEL . Where: Inside terminals at London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports (in Terminal 4), and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. The concept: Catering to those with a long layover, these glossy, no-nonsense capsule hotels are small but convenient for business travelers -- or someone just looking for a nap and a shower. What you get: A windowless room (about 75 square feet) that looks like a cruise ship cabin -- there's a shower, a TV, a fold-out work desk and an overhead storage rack; Wi-Fi is free. Bonus: a 24-hour room-service menu of snacks and drinks delivered within 15 minutes. What it'll cost: There's a four-hour minimum, which costs about $36 for a standard cabin in the London locations. After that, pay by the hour (about $10). Premium cabins are probably better for shares -- those start at $57 for four hours. yotel.com. QBIC . Where: Antwerp, Belgium; Maastricht and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The concept: A completely self-service hotel. You check yourself in at the kiosk and buy everything with your hotel key card. What you get: In the center of each room is a Cubi, a 75-square-foot enclosed platform for the bed, a bar-like work-and-dine space and the bathroom. The lighting is at your discretion -- Mellow Yellow, Deep Purple Love -- it's all pretty club-like. There's a vending machine in the lobby filled with drinks, locally made snacks such as organic bread and things you may have forgotten -- like neckties. What it'll cost: From $91. qbichotels.com. CITIZENM . Where: Near Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and in central Amsterdam's posh Zuid neighborhood, which started taking guests this April. The concept: Keeping prices down by using prefabricated everything -- the 150-square-foot rooms are built in a factory, stacked up and then shot through with plumbing and electrical wiring. Budget Travel wrote about citizenM in a February 2009 story on boutique hostels. Budget Travel: See photos of the boutique hostels . What you get: Only single-bed rooms are offered, each with an ultramodern cylindrical shower. Use a control panel (called a moodpad) to manage the room temperature, blinds, alarm clock, stereo and lighting -- there are clever choices like \"I'm here to party,\" with intense colored lighting and dance music. There's also a 24-hour self-service cafeteria; if you're craving a martini, a bartender is on duty in the evenings. What it'll cost: From $109. citizenm.com. EXPANSION PLANS . All three of these mini chains have plans to expand -- some more than others. CitizenM will open a third hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2009, and plans to expand into London and New York City in the next five years. Yotel will open in London and then at all major airport hubs in Europe and the U.S., but there are no fixed dates. Qbic hopes to pursue a franchise model -- if you (really) like what you see, apply to be a franchise-owner on the Web site. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved. Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pay just $36 for four hours in one of Yotel's London locations .\nAt Qbic hotels, colorful lighting schemes give the rooms a club-like feel .\nCitizenM rooms feature an ultramodern cylindrical shower ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TYRE, Lebanon (CNN) -- Diab Diab lost an eye and part of a leg trying to clear unexploded bombs from the fields of southern Lebanon. But now he is going to lose his job, too. Despite the dangers of clearing mines, Diab Diab wants to continue his work. For though there are possibly thousands of unexploded bombs and shells littering the landscape, the money for cleanup operations has disappeared in the global recession. Diab knows the dangers all too well, but said he wants to continue working for British specialist clearance company BACTEC. \"It's hard to lose one's job -- despite the risks and the dangers you run, you get used to it,\" he said. Countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates all pledged to help Lebanon clear the landmines, cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance left by Israeli forces as they withdrew from their conflict with Hezbollah in the summer of 2006. More than $43 million in international donations has been spent so far on clearing the region. Britain and the Netherlands have been the largest single donors, each giving more than $5 million. The United States gave $2 million soon after the conflict and Saudi Arabia's contributions are now at $1.5 million, a report by the United Nations Mine Action Service shows. But with the economic crisis sweeping around the globe, some of the donor cash has dried up, and BACTEC, which had been responsible for a quarter of the clearing work, has to shut down its operations in Lebanon. There are some areas that BACTEC operations manager Johan Hann can mark as \"cleared\" on a map in his office. Elsewhere, the map shows areas that have not been touched and a vast swath of land where no one knows what lies in the ground. Watch mom cry for her daughter, maimed by a bomb » . Cluster bombs leave huge craters but also spread bomblets over a wide area. Not all the bomblets will necessarily detonate on impact, and those that do not explode are left, like ticking time bombs in the ground. The United Nations Mine Action Service says Israel has provided no information as to where bombs were dropped. Nor has Israel contributed to the funding for the U.N.-led mine clearance effort. Land has to be cleared field by field, section by section and yard by yard. A piece of red and white tape fluttering across a piece of land shows how far Hann's team got before they had to stop. Mohammed Cheaito looks to the other side of the tape, to the land that he should be farming but that could be full of hidden danger. \"If they are going to stop now, it means we will stop planting and working, too; we can't get to our land anymore,\" he said. \"Of course, I am upset. They're supposed to finish their work so we can walk freely and cultivate our land in order to make a living.\" But the risks of straying onto uncleared land are all too obvious. At least 328 people have been killed or wounded by bombs left in the soil of the region that borders Israel. One of them is Naimah Ghazi, who stepped on a cluster bomb in her garden in 2007 and lost half a leg. She used to provide for her family by farming tobacco, but now she spends most of her day sitting in the very garden that hid the weapon that injured her. Her mother, Khadija, finds it almost unbearable to look at her. \"I cry so much I can barely see with my eyes. I cry when I look at the state my daughter is in,\" the 86-year-old wails. Phone calls asking for jobs are still coming in to BACTEC's offices, Hann said, even as the mine clearers pack up their tents and climb into their trucks for the last time. They leave behind thousands of acres of land around the villages that they haven't been able to check and an untold number of bombs, perhaps still waiting for a victim." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bomb disposal teams leave Lebanon as funding dries up in economic crisis .\nThousands of unexploded bombs litter landscape around Lebanese villages .\nHundreds have been killed, hurt by deadly remnants of 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Queen of the Blues is dead. Koko Taylor performs in Spain in 2005. Her last performance was in May of this year. Koko Taylor, a West Tennessee sharecropper's daughter who went to Chicago, Illinois, with \"35 cents and a box of Ritz Crackers\" at 24 and wound up an award-winning blues legend, died Wednesday at her Chicago home at 80. She died of complications from a May 19 surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding, her Web site reported. Just days before the surgery, Taylor won her 29th Blues Music Award, picking up the trophy for Traditional Female Blues Artist Of the Year. She performed her signature song, \"Wang Dang Doodle,\" at the ceremony. Known for her powerful vocals, Taylor was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1997, won the Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Ward in 1999 and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in 2004. She also won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1985 for her album \"Queen of the Blues.\" Taylor was born Cora Walton and picked up the nickname \"Koko\" because of her love of chocolate as a child. She also displayed a love of singing from an early age. She and her future husband, the late Robert \"Pops\" Taylor, traveled to Chicago in 1952, where Pops Taylor worked for a packing company while Koko Taylor cleaned houses. By night, the two roamed Chicago's blues clubs, where Koko Taylor sat in with top bands and was soon a popular guest artist. But it took 10 years for Koko Taylor to record on her own, after Willie Dixon got her signed to Chess Records and produced several singles, including \"Wang Dang Doodle.\" Taylor landed a permanent home with Alligator Records when Chess was sold in 1975. Her final performance was the May 7 blues award show, but earlier in the year she performed at the Kennedy Center Honors program honoring actor Morgan Freeman. Throughout her lengthy career, she shared the stage with nearly every blues performer imaginable, from Junior Wells and B.B. King to Taj Mahal and Muddy Waters. She was a strong influence to later performers, including Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. Survivors include Taylor's husband, Hays Harris, daughter Joyce Threatt, son-in-law Lee Threatt, grandchildren Lee Jr. and Wendy, and three great-grandchildren." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Taylor dies at Chicago home of complications from May 19 surgery .\nHer final performance was a May 7 blues award show .\nShe sang her signature song, \"Wang Dang Doodle,\" at the ceremony .\nTaylor won Grammy in 1985 for her album \"Queen of the Blues\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- One man was gored in the abdomen and another suffered facial injuries on the third day of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, a hospital doctor told Spanish state television Wednesday. A fighting bull leaps over a fallen runner at the Mercaderes curve during the running of the bulls. A 22-year-old Californian, who was gored, was taken to a hospital and was \"stable and conscious,\" said the doctor, Ignacio Yurss, medical director of Hospital de Navarra. The patient's name was not released. The man who suffered facial injuries comes from Greece and was injured in the nose, Yurss added. The latest injuries bring to 20 the number of runners who have been hurt in the first three days of the running. Watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona » . Two of those were due to bull gorings -- the Californian gored Wednesday and a Spaniard gored Tuesday. The other 18 injuries resulted from falls or collisions, the regional government of Navarra reported. Ten of the injured are Spanish. The other 10 include three Americans and one each from England, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, South Africa, South Korea, and Romania, the Navarra government said. Many of the 20 have already been released from the hospital. The running of the bulls in Pamplona started 400 years ago and became popular worldwide after Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in the 1920s. The running is held for eight consecutive days, July 7 to 14, as six bulls and a pack of tame steers run from the corrals through Pamplona's old town to the bull ring, where the bulls will die later in the day in a bullfight. A total of 13 people have been killed in the runs since 1924, when record-keeping began. The last was a 22-year-old American gored to death in 1995. The runs begin off at 8 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) each day, with a few thousand runners participating daily, although crowds swell at the weekend." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One man gored in the abdomen, another facially injured at Pamplona bull run .\nCalifornian and Greek hospitalized following event, now more than 400 years old .\nLatest injuries happened on the third of eight scheduled runs in the Spanish city .\nNEW: Twenty people injured so far this year; last fatality was an American in 1995 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former death row inmate in Tennessee has been cleared of murder, three years after the Supreme Court raised repeated questions about his conviction. After 22 years on death row, Paul House was released on bail and has now been cleared of murder charges. State prosecutors on Tuesday asked a judge to drop all charges against Paul House, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to die in 1986. Special Judge Jon Blackwood accepted the request. House had been scheduled to be retried next month for the 1985 murder of Carolyn Muncey. He had been on death row for 22 years but was released on bail last year. He has multiple sclerosis and must use a wheelchair. The high court ruled in June 2006 that House was entitled to a new hearing. \"Although the issue is closed, we conclude that this is the rare case where -- had the jury heard all the conflicting testimony -- it is more likely than not that no reasonable juror viewing the record as a whole would lack reasonable doubt,\" wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the 5-3 majority. House's appeal was championed by the Innocence Project, affiliated with the Cardozo School of Law in New York. \"In the three years since the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into this case and sent it back to the trial court, substantial additional DNA testing and further investigation have shown that he is innocent,\" said Peter Neufeld, the group's co-director. \"Each time a layer of this case was peeled away, it revealed more evidence of Paul House's innocence.\" Muncey disappeared from her rural Luttrell, Tennessee, home on July 13, 1985. Her body was found a day later, badly beaten and showing signs of a struggle. She had been raped. House, who was on parole at the time as a sex offender, was questioned by police. He denied any involvement in the crime. He was a friend of Muncey's husband, but claimed he was in his own house several miles away the evening of the murder. But prosecutors found a hole in his alibi, discovering that he had left his home the night of the murder and returned about an hour later with unexplained cuts and bruises. Forensic evidence found Muncey's blood on House's jeans, but questions were later raised whether the samples were contaminated en route to an FBI lab for analysis. Subsequent state-of-the art DNA testing conducted after the conviction showed that semen on the victim belonged to her husband, not House. Blood under her fingernails and cigarette butts discovered near the wooded crime scene also did not match the accused. But prosecutors maintain that other evidence points to his guilt. Muncey's family has also continued to believe that House was involved in the crime. In 2005, House told CNN he did not rape or kill Muncey, and he wondered why he was still on death row. \"I guess that's the million-dollar question,\" he said. While maintaining his innocence, he said that lying to police about his whereabouts that night was a big mistake. Kennedy, in his 2006 high court ruling, offered an extensive summary of the facts of the investigation, especially the DNA evidence, which he said might point to \"a different suspect.\" Kennedy said jurors might conclude that Muncey's blood found on House's pants may have inadvertently spilled there during the autopsy or through mishandling by police at the crime scene. District Attorney Paul Phillips wrote in his petition this week that he still believes House could have been convicted again in a new trial, \"but the new evidence (including the forensic examinations) raises a reasonable doubt that he acted alone and the possibility that others were involved in the crime.\" But Phillips noted the \"substantial sentence\" House has served as another reason for the charges being dropped now." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "New evidence prompts judge to drop murder charges against Paul House .\nHouse, of Tennessee, spent 22 years on death row for murder of Carolyn Muncey .\nHouse, who uses a wheelchair, was released on bail in 2007 .\nNew DNA testing helped raise doubts ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "If home is where the heart is, a new survey suggests that most people aren't sure exactly where they live. More than half of people cannot pinpoint the exact location of the human heart on a diagram, and nearly 70 percent can't correctly identify the shape of the lungs, according to the survey. This lack of knowledge isn't just embarrassing -- it could lead to a poorer quality of health care, some experts say. In the study, published in the journal BMC Family Practice, a research team surveyed 722 Britons -- 589 hospital outpatients and 133 people in the general population. They gave the volunteers four diagrams of human figures and asked them to choose the one that showed the correct size and location of a specific organ. (For example, the heart diagrams showed various size organs on the far left side of the chest, directly in the center, anchored on the center/left chest, and on the right side of the chest.) Overall, people knew less basic anatomy than the researchers expected -- even those patients being treated for a specific condition involving that organ. Participants generally answered half the questions correctly, including 46.5 percent who knew which drawing represented their heart. In all, 31.4 percent correctly identified the lungs, 38.4 percent the stomach, 41.8 percent the thyroid, and 42.5 percent the kidneys. The intestines and bladder were the most easily identified, with 85.9 percent and 80.7 percent, respectively, answering the question correctly. Health.com: Are you cholesterol smart? Take this quiz . There was little to no improvement compared with a similar study conducted in 1970, says lead author John Weinman, Ph.D., of King's College London. In that study, subjects correctly identified eight major body parts about half of the time. (The researchers used the same body parts from the 1970 study and added three more: the pancreas, gallbladder, and ovaries.) Given the accessibility of the Internet and the prominence of health stories in the news media today, Weinman's team expected that people would now know more about their body. Weinman says he wouldn't be surprised if a study based in the United States produced similar results -- or worse. \"I imagine they would be similar, but there could well be regional variation, depending on which part of the U.S. the participants were from,\" he says. \"Actually, I asked one of my colleagues, who is from the U.S., and she felt that Americans might be worse because, to quote her, 'Very many Americans don't even know where New Jersey is, so how would they know where their pancreas is?'\" Health.com: Eat Smarter in your 30s, 40s, and 50s . That may sound harsh, but time and again, U.S. studies have shown that doctors overestimate how much their patients understand about their conditions and treatment. Adam Kelly, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, conducted a 2007 study, that showed that doctors overestimate patient literacy and that a lack of patient knowledge leads to poorer care. Kelly believes the problem could be \"even more profound\" in the United States, although a similar study has not been conducted in America. Still, anatomy may not be the best measure of health literacy, says Sandeep Jauhar, M.D., the director of the heart failure program at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and the author of \"Intern: A Doctor's Initiation.\" Health.com: Computer games that boost your memory . \"They would like us to draw the conclusion that because the patients can't identify these organs anatomically that that is an indication of low health-care literacy -- and that may or may not be true,\" he says. \"I work with heart failure patients, and whether they can identify where their heart is is not so important to me as long as they know which medicines to take and when.\" Many patients with heart failure, unfortunately, don't know which medicines to take, can't identify their symptoms, and don't follow up with their doctors, Jauhar says. \"So health illiteracy is definitely a big problem,\" he adds. \"I just don't know that this is the best study to show that Americans or Europeans are illiterate when it comes to their health care.\" The study suggests that patients with liver disease and diabetes may be the most health-literate: They were the only two groups to do better than the general population when identifying their affected organ. Overall, 75.3 percent of those with liver disease could find the liver (versus 45.9 percent in the general population) and 53.7 percent of diabetics could locate the pancreas (versus 30.8 percent). Health.com: How I survived a heart attack at 43 . \"It is possible that patient-education material for people with diabetes may help to increase their knowledge [of the pancreas], but it is still only at the 50 percent level,\" Weinman says. \"The same explanation may also be true for liver disease, but it may be a chance finding due to the sampling of patients for this study, and it really needs replicating in other larger studies to be certain it is a robust finding and to search for possible reasons for it.\" Weinman says there's a mountain of evidence to prove that effective communication from doctors increases patient satisfaction and understanding, leading to better clinical outcomes and improved adherence to treatment. Health.com: I lost my insurance, stopped my diabetes medication, and had a heart attack . Jauhar agrees that health literacy improves not only the quality of health care, but also life expectancy. \"Health literacy is clearly very important, and how well patients are versed in their own health care is probably just as important a factor in determining longevity as genes or socioeconomic status,\" he says. \"These are important factors in how long someone lives.\" Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "More than half in British survey couldn't identify heart's location .\nU.S. results could be similar or worse, some experts speculate .\nHealth literacy contributes to better care received, better patient outcomes ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Four teenage boys in Tampa, Florida, were charged as adults Wednesday on allegations of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy. Lee Louis Myers, 14, from Tampa, Florida, is one of the defendants in the case. Charged with four counts each of sexual battery were Randall John Moye, 14; Raymond A. Price-Murray, 14; Lee Louis Myers, 14; and Diamante J. Roberts, 15. CNN is naming the defendants because they were charged as adults. Hillsborough County prosecutors allege the four boys raped the 13-year-old victim multiple times over two months with a broomstick and hockey stick. At a bond and arraignment hearing, the defendants appeared before Hillsborough County Judge Wayne Timmerman to hear the counts against them read in court. Prosecutor Kimberly Hindman described to the court how two defendants held down the victim while the other two defendants violently sodomized him with the sticks. \"The victim screamed and cried, telling them to stop,\" Hindman said. The prosecutor said the victim's screams could be heard outside the boys' locker room at Walker Middle School, in southern Tampa, where the alleged assaults took place. Multiple people witnessed the attacks, but no one reported the incidents, including the victim, Hindman said. The school began an investigation after a fight that began on the football field and continued until a coach broke it up in the locker room, said the prosecutor. During the fight, the victim said, \"I'm tired of them getting on me,\" Hindman said. When school officials questioned the defendants, all four admitted in a written statement that they had sexually assaulted the victim. The defendants \"all implicated themselves in a sexual-battery incident,\" Hindman said. The victim did not acknowledge the attacks until questioned. School officials contacted authorities, who initially charged the four as minors with sexual assault and false imprisonment. Several students witnessed the incidents over the two months, said the prosecutor, who added that she could not understand why no one reported the attacks. The victim made a statement in court, telling the judge how his father was angry and his mother couldn't stop crying when they heard about the attacks. Defense attorneys told the judge their clients were good students and had never been in trouble before. Attorney Tim Taylor, representing Randall Moye, said his client's family is among the finest in the community. Taylor presented six character witnesses, including his client's mother, Jeanne Myers, who said her son wants to attend college. The prosecutor asked her about her son's written statement about the attacks. Myers said her son described clowning around in the locker room with a hockey stick. She added that he told her about holding down the victim for a few seconds. The victim finished the academic year at home instead of returning to school, authorities said. The judge set bond for each defendant at $15,000, with ankle monitors for all but one, who has left the area. The four boys were taken into custody in court and booked into the adult jail. The judge warned the four to have no contact with one another, the victim or any witnesses in the case. The defendants could spend up to 120 years in prison if convicted on all four counts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Prosecutors: Victim, 13, raped over 2-month period with broomstick, hockey stick .\nMultiple people witnessed attacks, but no one reported incidents, prosecutor says .\nThe 4 teens gave written admission of assaults to school officials in Florida .\nDefense attorney for one teen says client's family is among the finest in Tampa ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A close aide to Pakistan's Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud said he is breaking ties with him and confirmed reports that Mehsud was behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007 at a campaign rally. Qari Turkestan Bhitaini, a self-proclaimed right-hand man of Mehsud, said Mehsud was behind the December 27, 2007, assassination of Bhutto, Pakistan's Express TV reported. Bhitaini said he is breaking ties with Mehsud because he blames the Taliban chief for killing scores of innocent Muslims in recent attacks in Lahore. The Pakistani government and CIA officials have said in the past that Mehsud was responsible for Bhutto's death. Bhutto, 54, was heading the opposition to then-President Pervez Musharraf when she was assassinated during a campaign rally in Rawalpindi ahead of parliamentary elections. The Pakistani government, who has struggled to control terrorism, is waging a military offensive against the Taliban in the country's North West Frontier Province." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Report: Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud responsible for Benazir Bhutto's slaying .\nMehsud's former aide makes allegations, blames him for killing Muslims .\nBhutto was assassinated in December 2007 at campaign rally ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Man-made climate change threatens to stress water resources, challenge crops and livestock, raise sea levels and adversely affect human health, according to a report released by the Obama administration on Tuesday. Farmers and workers in central California are suffering through the third year of a worsening drought. The nearly 200-page document on global climate change -- released by the White House science adviser and mandated by Congress -- does not include new research, but encompasses several recent studies on the effects of global warming over the last half century. Among the report's key findings are an \"unequivocal and primarily human-induced\" rise in the Earth's temperature of 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 50 years, and a projection of more rapidly changing temperatures over the next several decades. \"It's not just a problem for the future,\" said Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. \"We're beginning to see the impact on our daily lives.\" The continuing temperature rise is likely to spur a series of negative consequences for the Earth's energy supply, water, transportation, ecosystems and health, the study said. \"[The report] tells us why remedial action is needed sooner rather than later, as well as showing why that action must include both global emissions reductions to reduce the extent of climate change and local adaptation measures to reduce the damage from the changes that are no longer avoidable,\" said John P. Holdren, the White House science adviser. Among the study's specific predictions: Longer and more intense heat waves; increased heavy downpours likely to cause widespread complications such as flooding and waterborne diseases; reduced summer runoff, creating greater competition for water, especially in the West; rising ocean water temperatures that will threaten coral reefs; an increase in wildfires and insect infestations; and more frequent coastal flooding caused by rising seas. The report is the first in almost a decade to break down impacts of climate change on regions and economic sectors of the United States. For example, warming trends in coming decades are expected to reduce the lobster catch in the waters of the Northeast, increase the intensity of hurricanes in the Southeast and accelerate drought in the Southwest, it said. Authors of the comprehensive report said they hope it can serve as a valuable tool for policymakers and other Americans, such as farmers making crop decisions or local governments passing zoning restrictions in coastal areas. The report comes as Congress debates a White House-backed climate change bill that seeks to reduce the United State's greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a so-called \"cap and trade\" program. The bill cleared a key House committee vote in May and could be considered by the entire chamber within the next two weeks, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday. The bill's future remains unclear in the Senate, where leaders are holding off advancing their own version of the legislation until it clears the lower chamber." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Man-made climate change is adversely affecting the U.S., says a federal report .\nReport: Changes will stress water resources, challenge crops and raise sea levels .\nDocument is released by White House science adviser and mandated by Congress .\nReport's predictions: Hotter heat waves, more flooding and an increase in wildfires ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- In keeping with President Obama's pledge of an administration that is \"transparent and accountable,\" the White House has launched a site that promises to show taxpayers where their stimulus-package dollars are being spent. Visitors to Recovery.gov are greeted with a video message from President Obama. The site, Recovery.gov, allows visitors to track efforts to jump-start a teetering economy in the midst of a slumping housing market and massive job losses. It breaks down the $787 billion package by category: $288 billion for tax relief, $59 billion for health care, and so on. The site promises that more detailed spending information will be posted once federal agencies decide how they are going to allocate the money. Learn more about where the money is going » . Using graphs, charts and layman's terminology, the online portal is an example of how the tech-savvy Obama administration is taking its message to the American people. While running for president, Obama harnessed the Web's fundraising and social-networking capabilities to energize his grass-roots campaign. And the moment he was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, administration officials unveiled a sleek interactive version of Whitehouse.gov, the official White House Web site. Recovery.gov, launched within hours of Obama's signing of the stimulus bill Tuesday, continues the theme of offering information in a user-friendly format. Visitors are greeted by a brief video address from Obama. \"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan represents a strategic and significant investment in our country's future,\" the president explains. \"The size and scale of this plan demand unprecedented efforts to root out waste, inefficiency and unnecessary spending. Recovery.gov will be the online portal for these efforts.\" The site will publish information on how the stimulus funds will be spent in a \"timely, targeted and transparent manner,\" Obama said. Edward Glaeser, a professor of economics at Harvard University, said transparency has \"been a watch word for good government types for years.\" \"There is sense that taxpayers will feel a lot better about this if they actually know where their money is going,\" Glaeser said. \"Better transparency makes evaluation much easier.\" Glaeser pointed out that the idea behind Recovery.gov is not entirely new. He noted that the Office of Management and Budget has for years had a site where citizens can learn the available cost-benefit information of several government programs. Clicking on \"Where is Your Money Going\" on the new site brings up a chart displaying key areas where the $787 billion will be distributed, including tax relief, energy, health care and infrastructure and science. Under \"Accountability and Transparency,\" there is a statement that reads, \"This is your money. You have a right to know where it's going and how it's being spent. Learn what steps we're taking to ensure you can track our progress every step of the way.\" Like other Obama online portals, the site encourages user interaction. The public is invited to share stories on how the Recovery Act is affecting them. Scrolling over a map of the United States reveals data on the number of jobs created and saved in each state. Those with some time on their hands can also read, in its entirety, the full text of the legislation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "New White House Web site explains economic stimulus spending .\nObama administration continues promise to be \"transparent and accountable\"\nRecovery.gov is similar to other Obama-backed sites .\nHarvard professor: \"Better transparency makes evaluation much easier\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that another stimulus package might be needed to help the ailing economy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with economists and other Democrats on Tuesday to discuss the stimulus. Pelosi, whose comments followed a meeting with several economists, said the measures already taken by the Obama administration are helping to restore confidence in the shaky financial markets. But \"we have to keep the door open and see how this goes,\" the California Democrat added. House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey of Wisconsin said on Tuesday night he's already instructed his staff to start drafting a second stimulus proposal. Obey said his staff is preparing the outline of a stimulus bill but he cautioned there is no timeline to move on it. One of the economists in the meeting with Pelosi and other Democrats, Mark Zandi with Moody's Economy.com, said more taxpayer money would likely be needed to bolster the economy. Another economist, Allen Sinai, chief global economist at Decision Economics Inc., urged patience. But he questioned President Obama's prediction that the $800 billion stimulus package enacted last month would create or save as many as 3 million to 4 million jobs. \"Initially ... the jobs created may be a little disappointing,\" Sinai said. Sinai said his analysis showed that about 2.5 million jobs would be saved or created over the next two years and he said it is more realistic to project 3 million jobs over a longer period of three years. The most recent prediction from the Congressional Budget Office, released last week, estimates the recovery package will create or save from 1.2 million jobs to 3.6 million jobs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"We have to keep the door open and see how this goes,\" the House Speaker says .\nHouse Appropriations Committee chairman's staff is preparing second proposal .\nMore taxpayer money will likely be needed to bolster economy, economist says .\nEconomist questions whether current stimulus will save or create 4 million jobs ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Deep-sea explorers say they have solved \"one of the greatest mysteries in naval history\" with the discovery of what was \"the world's mightiest and most technically advanced warship\" when it sank in 1744. The HMS Victory sank in 1744. The HMS Victory -- the predecessor to a historic British flagship of the same name -- was found \"far from where history says it was lost,\" Odyssey Marine Exploration said in a news release Monday. The find in the English Channel exonerates Adm. Sir John Balchin, one of \"the greatest admirals in English history,\" because it shows that the ship went down in a violent storm, not due to any mistakes he made, Odyssey said. It did not specify the ship's exact location. Maritime lore said the ship went down in the northern part of the Channel Islands, south of England near the coast of France. Stories about treasures -- including gold -- that may have been on the ship have existed ever since its disappearance. This HMS Victory was a predecessor to the historic British ship that took the same name and which served as Admiral Nelson's flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In court papers seeking exclusive salvage rights, Odyssey says the wreck site \"consists of cannons and other unidentified objects. Odyssey believes that potentially valuable cargo may be located at or near the site.\" The papers were filed in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, where Odyssey is based, seeking exclusive salvage rights. There were nearly 1,000 people aboard -- \"900 sailors, plus a complement of marines and 50 volunteers drawn from the noblest families of England,\" Odyssey said in information about the ship released together with the Discovery Channel, which chronicled the find. Based on reports from the time, there may be as much as four tons of gold on the ship, Odyssey and the Discovery Channel said. \"Additional research indicates that there were large quantities of both silver and gold coins aboard. ... Research suggests that this prize money will also likely be located at the wreck site. \"... However, no coins have been located at the site to date, and no accurate assessment as to their value can be made prior to location, recovery and analysis.\" The potential treasure also comes in another form -- bronze weaponry. \"The site's anticipated ordnance collection\" includes \"the single largest collection of bronze cannon in the world\" and \"the largest consignment of bronze guns ever manufactured and preserved today,\" Odyssey said. Two cannons have been recovered -- \"a 12-pounder featuring the royal arms of George II\" and a \"42-pounder bearing the crest of George I,\" it said. \"The huge 42-pounder recovered is the only known example of a gun of this type and size currently in existence on dry land. The only other artifacts recovered to date were two small brick fragments that were brought into U.S. federal court in order to file an admiralty arrest of the site.\" Admiralty arrest is a step mandated under international maritime law. The discovery could set up a legal battle with the British government. If it really is the HMS Victory, \"her remains are sovereign immune,\" the British Ministry of Defense (MOD) said in a statement on its blog Monday. \"The wreck remains the property of the Crown. We have not waived our rights to it. This means that no intrusive action may be taken without the express consent of the United Kingdom.\" In its statement, Odyssey said it \"has been cooperating closely\" with the ministry, and \"all activities at the site have been conducted in accordance with protocols agreed with MOD and Royal Navy officials.\" The ship has deteriorated to the point that recovering it is impossible, Odyssey said. \"A plan is being developed for an archaeological excavation of the site, and artifacts will be recovered in accordance with a scientific project plan, which will be submitted to the UK MOD for review and approval.\" The company has proposed that it be paid \"with either ... a percentage of the value of the collection that has been recovered, conserved and presented to the UK government, or a percentage of the coins or other artifacts that the government decides to (sell).\" The ship was found nearly 100 km (62 miles) \"from where the ship was historically believed to have been wrecked on a reef near the Channel Islands,\" Odyssey's statement said. \"Having discovered it in deep water far from where history says it was lost has served to exonerate Admiral Balchin and his officers from the accusation of having let the ship run aground on the Casquets due to faulty navigation,\" said Greg Stemm, Odyssey's chief executive officer, in the statement. Odyssey said the \"prevailing belief\" about the ship's fate was that it had \"smashed into the Casquets, a group of rocky islets\" north of Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands. But the evidence, Odyssey's statement said, suggests \"the ship sank as the result of a violent storm and suggests that the design and construction of the ship contributed to her loss.\" Odyssey released press materials about the ship in cooperation with the Discovery Channel, which chronicled the find and will be showing it in a program this week called Treasure Quest. \"The English Channel is a treacherous place to navigate,\" Discovery Channel President John Ford told CNN Radio. \"The ship was returning from Portugal and got caught up in a storm. And despite being judged unsinkable at the time, sort of like the Titanic was, this very, very large ship went down in a storm and vanished without a trace.\" CNN Radio's April Williams contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Team says it has discovered the wreck site of HMS Victory .\nVictory sank in 1744 between England and France .\nIf find is confirmed, it could set up a legal battle with the British government .\nReplacement HMS Victory served as Nelson flagship for Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi who was captured on videotape torturing an Afghan grain dealer has reportedly been detained, a senior U.S. State Department official told CNN Saturday. Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, pictured here, allegedly tortured a business associate on videotape. The official said the government of the United Arab Emirates, which includes Abu Dhabi as one of its seven emirates, told the State Department that Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan is under house arrest pending an investigation, but that the United States has not independently confirmed the development. The videotape emerged last month in a federal civil lawsuit filed in Houston, Texas, by Bassam Nabulsi, a U.S. citizen, against the sheikh. Former business partners, the men had a falling out, in part over the tape. In a statement to CNN, the sheikh's U.S. attorney said Nabulsi is using the videotape to influence the court over a business dispute. The tape of the heinous torture session is delaying the ratification of a civil nuclear deal between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, senior U.S. officials familiar with the case have said. The senior U.S. officials said the administration has held off on the ratification process because it believes sensitivities over the story can hurt its passage. On Saturday, Human Rights Watch called the sheikh's reported detention \"a significant development\" but said the UAE government needs to do more to restore confidence in its judicial system. \"The videotape of this episode shocked the world,\" said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. \"The report of the arrest was reassuring, but now the government needs to make the details public. Secretive prosecutions will not deter further abuses and torture.\" On the tape, Sheikh Issa appears to burn with rage. Apparently believing he was cheated in a business deal, the sheikh was trying to extract a confession from the Afghan grain dealer. With a private security officer assisting, Sheikh Issa is seen stuffing sand in the Afghan's mouth. As the grain dealer pleads and whimpers, he is beaten with a nailed board, burned in the genitals with a cigarette lighter, shocked with a cattle prod and led to believe he would be shot. Salt is literally poured on his wounds. The 45 minutes of torture appears on a nearly three-hour-long videotape shot in late 2004 in the desert outside Abu Dhabi. It was made at the direction of the sheikh himself. The tape has been viewed by CNN. Watch portions of the tape and Nabulsi tell his story » . After international concerns over the tape mounted in late April, Abu Dhabi's government issued a statement saying it deplored the contents of the video and planned an immediate and comprehensive review of it. The sheikh, who holds no official government position, is the half-brother of the UAE's ruler, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Human Rights Watch sent a April 28 letter to the president imploring him to form \"an independent body\" to probe both the torture and and the \"failure\" of the UAE's Interior Ministry \"to bring those involved to justice.\" The group reiterated that call Saturday. As for the grain dealer, UAE officials say he survived the ordeal, and said the sheikh and the grain dealer settled the matter privately by agreeing not to bring formal charges against each other. However, Nabulsi's attorney, Anthony Buzbee, said the grain dealer can't be located and it is not known whether he is alive." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "State Department official says member of Abu Dhabi royal family reportedly detained .\nInvestigation continuing after videotape shows sheikh torturing grain merchant .\nVideotape emerged last month in federal civil lawsuit filed in the United States .\nU.S. senior officials say case is holding up a U.S. nuclear deal with the UAE ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian newspaper and magazine published excerpts of what they said were audio recordings of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi talking with an escort at the center of a corruption probe. Veronica Lario, the wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, pictured, filed for divorce in May. The daily La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso said the recordings posted on their Web sites Monday were of Berlusconi and Patrizia D'Addario. She has said that an Italian businessman hired her and other women to attend parties at Berlusconi's homes. In June, D'Addario told CNN that she had turned the tapes over to a prosecutor in Bari, southern Italy. Through her attorney, she refused to comment on the authenticity of the excerpts released Monday. But in a statement carried by the Italian news agency ANSA, Berlusconi lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said the prime minister is challenging the \"truthfulness and legality\" of the recordings. \"We can only regard the material as worthless, completely false and the result of invention,\" Ghedini said. \"In any case, the act of its publication is an illegal act in itself, which will need to be pursued, and all legal actions will be taken against any body who publishes such material.\" Berlusconi, the 72-year-old media mogul-turned-prime minister, has denied the allegations. According to La Repubblica, the conversation between D'Addario and Berlusconi took place in October and November at the prime minister's house in Rome. It also published an excerpt of what it said was a conversation between D'Addario and Gianpaulo Tarantini, the businessman accused of hiring D'Addario and other escorts. Prosecutors in Bari, in southern Italy, are investigating allegations that Tarantini bribed health officials to buy prosthetics and other medical supplies from a company he and his brother own. Tarantini has denied any wrongdoing and says he brought women to the parties to make a \"beautiful impression.\" \"I have never paid money to those who accompanied me except for refunding their trip expenses,\" he said in a statement issued last month. \"I exclude that the premier could have been aware of these reimbursements and I want to ask forgiveness for having involuntarily damaged him.\" Berlusconi's private life has been in the spotlight since his wife of 19 years, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce in May. The split followed reports that Berlusconi went to the birthday party in Naples of an 18-year-old girl, with whom Berlusconi has denied having an inappropriate relationship. And the Spanish newspaper El Pais has published what it said were photos of racy parties at Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia, including one picture that showed scantily clad women. But despite the swirl of scandal, Berlusconi remains popular, consistently scoring approval ratings well over 50 percent. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "D'Addario refuses to comment on authenticity of excerpts released Thursday .\nBerlusconi attorney calls act of publication \"an illegal act\"\nLa Repubblica: Conversation between D'Addario, Berlusconi took place at his home .\nLa Repubblica publishes alleged conversation between D'Addario, businessman ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- It is possible more U.S. troops could be added in Afghanistan if the new U.S. commander there needs them, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he does not expect a significant increase. U.S. Marines sweep for bombs in Afghanistan this week. During a visit to troops at Fort Drum, New York, on Thursday, Gates said he is waiting to hear what Gen. Stanley McChrystal recommends after he completes a review of operations in Afghanistan. McChrystal is expected to complete a classified report for Gates by the end of this month, assessing where the war stands, and what needs to be done. He will tell Gates whether he needs more U.S. troops to fight the escalating conflict, according to a senior U.S. military official. Gates asked McChrystal to \"state his requirements for resources,\" said the official -- who did not want to be identified because the report is not completed. The review is also expected to recommend that the number of Afghan troops be increased beyond the goal of 134,000, other military sources said. During a speech and question-and-answer session with troops at Fort Drum, Gates acknowledged he would consider a recommendation to boost U.S. troops beyond the level of 68,000 already approved. \"We'll see what Gen. McChrystal recommends,\" he said. \"But I think there will not be a significant increase in troop levels in Afghanistan beyond the 68,000, at least probably through the end of the year. Maybe some increase, but not a lot.\" Gates has made clear in the past he is reluctant to approve additional major increases in troop levels, preferring to keep the U.S. at a lower profile in the nation. About 57,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, with the other 11,000 to arrive by the end of this year. Gates has said he wants to see if that level of troops would be sufficient. Gates' press secretary, Geoff Morrell, told CNN the Fort Drum comments \"are not necessarily a foreshadowing of what's to come.\" He said Gates \"doesn't want to impose an artificial troop cap on the commander,\" but does want to see if the strategy can be carried out with the approved troop levels." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Defense secretary would consider it if U.S. commander says he needs more .\nGen. Stanley McChrystal preparing review of operation for Gates .\nStill, Secretary Gates said, any amount over 68,000 approved would not be much .\nWants low U.S. profile in Afghanistan, chance to see if 68,000 is enough ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Reclusive author J.D. Salinger has emerged, at least in the pages of court documents, to try to stop a novel that presents Holden Caulfield, the disaffected teen hero of his classic \"The Catcher in the Rye,\" as an old man. J.D. Salinger has stayed out of the public eye for most of the past half century. Lawyers for Salinger filed suit in federal court this week to stop the publication, sale and advertisement of \"60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye,\" a novel written by an author calling himself J.D. California and published by a Swedish company that advertises joke books and a \"sexual dictionary\" on its Web site. \"The Sequel infringes Salinger's copyright rights in both his novel and the character Holden Caulfield, who is the narrator and essence of that novel,\" said the suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in New York. Published in 1951, \"The Catcher in the Rye\" is an iconic take on teen alienation that is consistently listed among the greatest English-language novels ever written. Salinger, 90, who has famously lived the life of a recluse in New Hampshire for most of the past half-century, last published in 1965. With the exception of a 1949 movie based on one of his early short stories, he has never authorized adaptations of any of his work, even turning down an overture from director Steven Spielberg to make \"Catcher\" into a movie. \"There's no more to Holden Caulfield. Read the book again. It's all there,\" the court filing quotes Salinger as saying in 1980. \"Holden Caulfield is only a frozen moment in time.\" The filing refers to the new book's author as \"John Doe,\" saying that the name John David California probably is made up. The first-time novelist's biography on Amazon.com says California is the son of a Swedish mother and American father who was named after the state where he was born. It claims he is a former gravedigger and triathlete who found a copy of Salinger's novel \"in an abandoned cabin in rural Cambodia\" and that it helped him survive \"the most maniacal of tropical fevers and chronic isolation.\" The Web site's description of the book is written in the same choppy, first-person stream of consciousness that Salinger employs as Holden wanders the streets of New York. It describes a character, \"Mr. C,\" who flees his nursing home and \"embarks on a curious journey through the streets of New York.\" The lawsuit names Swedish publisher Nicotext; its offshoot, Windupbird Publishing Ltd.; and California-based SCB Distributors as defendants. The Web site for Nicotext advertises such books as \"The Macho Man's (Bad) Joke Book\" and \"Give It To Me Baby,\" which it describes as an erotic \"flick book.\" Marcia Paul, Salinger's New York-based attorney, declined to speak on the record, citing her client's private nature. E-mail messages to Nicotext were not returned Wednesday. Aaron Silverman, president of SCB Distributors, said the people behind the new book plan to defend it against the lawsuit. \"We believe we have the right to distribute this book and the publishers believe they have the right to publish it,\" he said. Silverman, whose company distributes books by about 150 publishers, called \"60 Years Later\" a work of \"social science fiction,\" saying that California doesn't plagiarize, but sets a well-known character in an alternate place and time -- as literature has done for centuries. \"It's amazing,\" he said of the book. \"If it was something else, or it felt like a knock-off or whatever, I would have told the publisher we wouldn't do it. But it's really just amazing.\" Despite his cloistered lifestyle, Salinger nods to the contemporary marketplace in the lawsuit, noting that, as of last week, \" 'The Catcher in the Rye' currently sells more copies on Amazon.com than 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' 'The DaVinci Code,' 'To Kill a Mockingbird' or 'Of Mice and Men.' \" A hearing in the case is expected Monday. Salinger's lawyers will ask a judge to freeze publication of the book until a final ruling is made. The book is already available in Europe and the United Kingdom, and is scheduled to be released in the United States in September. The lawsuit asks that sales be halted and that books already distributed be recalled and destroyed. The argument is reminiscent of the legal tussle over the 2001 novel \"The Wind Done Gone,\" a parody of Margaret Mitchell's \"Gone With the Wind\" told from the perspective of a slave. Mitchell's estate argued that the book, by novelist Alice Randall, infringed upon her copyright. But the 11th District U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in Randall's favor, saying the book was protected as a parody of a well-known work. Salinger's lawyers say \"60 Years Later\" deserves no such protection. \"The sequel is not a parody and it does not comment upon or criticize the original,\" the lawsuit argues. \"It is a rip-off pure and simple.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lawsuit seeks halt to \"60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye\"\nJ.D. Salinger says \"sequel\" infringes on copyright of his classic novel .\nNew author says he's former gravedigger, discovered \"Catcher\" in Cambodia .\nCourt hearing scheduled for Monday in New York ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Friday to impeach a federal judge convicted of obstruction of justice while in office. Judge Samuel Kent was the first federal judge to be charged with sexual crimes while in office. U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent of Texas pleaded guilty in February, admitting he lied to investigators about nonconsensual sexual contact with two employees in his courthouse. As part of a plea agreement, other counts alleging sexual misconduct were dropped. Kent was the first federal judge to be charged with sexual crimes while in office. He has submitted his resignation, but made it effective June 1, 2010, meaning he would be paid for a year while in prison. That drew a heated response among some members of Congress, and a House Judiciary Committee task force unanimously approved four articles of impeachment against Kent on the grounds of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and providing false statements to federal investigators. Before the House vote, Judiciary Committee member Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, said to House members that Kent collecting a salary of about $174,000 while in prison constituted \"an attempt to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from the American people.\" There were no dissenting votes. The decision on whether to convict Kent will be made by the Senate. A conviction would mean he would lose his seat on the federal bench and his pension. Kent, who turns 60 this month, was sentenced in May to 33 months in prison and began serving the sentence Monday. He was ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism while in prison. An attempt to reach Kent's attorney for comment was unsuccessful Friday afternoon. President George H.W. Bush nominated Kent, who took his seat on the bench of the Southern District of Texas on October 1, 1990. Kent is the 14th federal judge to be impeached by the House. The last impeachment -- on charges of lying to a federal grand jury -- was of Mississippi Judge Walter Nixon in 1989." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Samuel Kent says he lied about nonconsensual sexual contact with 2 employees .\nKent submits resignation effective June 2010, which allowed him to collect salary .\nTo keep Kent from being paid while in jail, House panel votes to impeach .\nDecision on whether he'll lose his seat on the bench and pension rests with Senate ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Commuters on the New York-New Jersey Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail system will have added security screening Wednesday as part of a month-long pilot program, according to a news release from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Riders of the New York-New Jersey PATH trains will see a new security system in place on Wednesday. The screening system is called the Passive Millimeter Wave. It can detect threats, including explosive devices, hidden under clothing, the Port Authority explained in the news release. The Transportation Security Administration and the Port Authority stress that there is no current threat to the mass transit system, nor do they anticipate delays for commuters from the new technology, which has already been tested at several other transit locations. The Passive Millimeter Wave \"detects threats by analyzing the energy generated by the human body,\" according to TSA spokesperson Lara Uselding. The camera-like device displays an image for operators, and \"an indicator produces a strength bar from green to red that indicates the presence/absence of anomalies that could have security implications, including the possible presence of explosives,\" according to the TSA Web site. The TSA and the Port Authority emphasize that the device is non-invasive and completely safe. The Port Authority's news release explains that all PATH passengers are subject to the pilot security screening, and passengers who do not want take part must leave the station. The TSA has partnered with agencies in various cities in the past to test out the same security screening system, including in 2007 at Washington's Union Station and on New York's Staten Island Ferry. The TSA has also tested the system at several U.S. airports including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Denver, Colorado; and Boston, Massachusetts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "PATH riders to have new security starting Wednesday; part of a month-long program .\nSystem called Passive Millimeter Wave; it detects hidden explosives under clothing .\nDon't want to be screened? Then leave station, says Port Authority .\nSystem previously tested at Staten Island Ferry, several U.S. airports ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race. Lance Armstrong's bike was stolen after he competed in the first day of the Amgen Tour of California. Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong is racing in the Amgen Tour of California this week as he attempts another comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005. Armstrong's first comeback came in 1998, two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. Doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival. Armstrong announced the bike theft on his Twitter account Sunday morning and posted a photograph. \"There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off. Reward being offered,\" he wrote. The bicycle that was stolen is not the one Armstrong rides every day during the race. The stolen bike is used only for time trials, a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time. The thieves took four bicycles from a truck Armstrong's Astana team had parked behind a hotel in Sacramento. The other three bicycles belonged to team members Janez Brajkovic, Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych, Astana said. Armstrong, 37, won the Tour de France, considered the premier bicycle race in the world, a record seven times from 1999-2005. The 750-mile Amgen Tour of California ends Sunday. It is the second major race in which Armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in September. He raced last month in the Tour Down Under in Australia, finishing 29th. Armstrong said he is aiming for another Tour de France victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the Australian race, which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One-of-a-kind bicycle taken from team truck in California .\nArmstrong posted announcement of theft on Twitter account .\nChampion cyclist aiming for comeback with participation in Amgen Tour ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Tribune Media Services) -- If you think being a secret agent is all just one giant adrenaline rush, think again. Cracking the safe at the International Spy Museum . Our mission on the other side of the world: Retrieve a missing nuclear trigger before it falls into enemy hands. We don't know whom to trust in Kandahar. We can't speak the language. We've got to conduct video surveillance on an always-moving target, decrypt a secret audio conversation when we can barely hear through the static, crack a safe and then escape from a heavily guarded compound. Phew. We kept the terrorists from getting the trigger. Everyone heaves a giant sigh of relief. The three middle-schoolers in the group performed admirably. Welcome to Operation Spy at the International Spy Museum (www.spymuseum.org) in Washington, D.C. \"Today intelligence is the first line of defense against ideology-driven terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and other threats to our country,\" explains Peter Earnest, executive director of the International Spy Museum, who spent 36 years at the CIA. The idea, he explains, is to put civilians like us in a situation that mirrors a real mission. But I've got a bigger mission ahead this weekend: Can I make a visit to the nation's capital, museums and historic sites at every turn, fun? I've brought along two sixth-graders from Stamford, Connecticut -- my cousin's son, Max Weinberg, and his friend, Miles Singer -- to see if I'm up to the challenge. So far so good. The kids loved Operation Spy and the spy tools in the museum's permanent exhibits -- a Soviet listening device hidden inside the heel of a target's shoe, a lipstick pistol and poison gas gun nearly as much as they loved the gift shop, which offered every spy toy imaginable. New lasers in hand, we adjourn next door to the upscale Zola restaurant (www.zoladc.com), which has a sophisticated ambience and menu to please the grown-ups, as well as a welcoming attitude toward kids ... not to mention terrific fries. (Memo to parents: If you take kids to a restaurant like this and they've outgrown the kids' menu, suggest they share a meal -- assuming they want the same thing.) Over dinner, the boys confess that learning about intelligence gathering was a lot more fun than learning how Congress works, and taking the Amtrak train (www.amtrak.com) was a lot more fun than driving or flying, because they could stay \"plugged in\" the entire trip, playing video games, watching movies and buying pizza and hot dogs. (Kids ride Amtrak for half price.) The Palomar Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel, (www.hotelpalomar-dc.com), just a short walk from DuPont Circle and Rock Creek Park) proved an ideal choice for my \"mission\" too. The theme of this hotel is \"art in motion\" and when we get to our room, the kids find personalized cartoons drawn by a local cartoonist and an iHome to plug in their iPods. \"This makes me feel like a king,\" Miles declares, jumping on the bed. That's exactly what General Manager Brett Orlando, himself the father of young twins, wants to hear. \"Our job is to create an experience for kids as well as parents,\" he explains. There is a treasure chest of toys for younger kids to borrow, a lending library of DVD movies and welcome swag that includes a card for free cookies from room service. (Check the hotel Website for the Link in Luxury package that allows you to book one room at a going rate -- weekend rates start at $229 and a second adjoining room for the kids for $50. Fall and winter weekends are a great time to visit D.C. with bargain hotel rates. Visit www.washington.org). The boys, of course, would have preferred to never leave the hotel but I promise we can skip all the \"boring stuff\"\" -- like the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, all art museums and even the White House. But even without these stops, we had plenty to fill up our weekend. At Jaleo, (www.jaleo.com), they sampled tapas for the first time -- but passed on the octopus and squid and reveled at being treated like grown-ups at the trendy D.C. Coast (www.dccoast.com). They declared \"Shear Madness,\" which has been running in the Kennedy Center's Theater Lab (http://www.kennedy-center.org/) for almost 20 years, a high point -- with campy humor and the opportunity for the audience to help solve the scissor-stabbing murder of a concert pianist who lives above the hairstyling salon. They also liked the view from the top of the Washington Monument, though they were disappointed when they learned they had to take a 70-second elevator ride rather than climb the 800-plus steps. (TIP: Even in the fall, the entire day's tickets had been given out before 10 a.m. Arrive before 9 a.m. at the kiosk at 15th Street and Madison Drive to get one.) The kids also gave a thumbs-up to The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (www.bep.treas.gov) where they watched from an overhead glass window, as money was made and sorted. NOTE: Though (free) tickets aren't required September through February, tours still fill up. Be prepared. You may need to wait. At the National Air and Space Museum (www.nasm.si.edu) where a new exhibit, America by Air, will open next month, the boys were most interested in the gift shop -- until they discovered the Simulator Rides ($8 each) that allowed them to try their skills as a pilot and gunner aboard an F-4 Phantom II Jet Fighter. \"I wish we could do it again and again,\" Max said. I insisted they see the original 1903 Wright Flyer but after a cursory look, they were done. Sure I could have forced them to spend more time at the museum -- maybe I should have -- but that would have just made them cranky. Me too. Instead, we all left happy. The Smithsonian museums and the capital will be here next trip. E-mail to a friend . (For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.) Copyright 2009 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The International Spy Museum is popular with kids .\nFall and winter weekends in D.C. are a great time for bargain hotel rates .\nArrive before 9 a.m. for tickets to climb up the Washington Monument ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- Debbie Brown used to process medical and dental forms for a living before a debilitating illness forced her into early disability retirement and left her in a simple, no-frills wheelchair -- a rented wheelchair that has cost taxpayers about $1,200. CNN found a wheelchair similar to Debbie Brown's taxpayer-funded Medicare wheelchair for a fourth of the price. Brown says the public should be outraged about her wheelchair. Why? She says she could buy a comparable wheelchair on the Internet for $440 if she had the money. It sounded hard to believe that her rented, $1,200 taxpayer-funded wheelchair could be bought for $440, so CNN decided to check -- and instead found an even better deal. CNN went to the same company that charges Medicare for Brown's chair, Apria Healthcare, and bought it for $349 -- about a fourth of what taxpayers' have paid for Brown's rented wheelchair. That's why this slightly built woman, who lives modestly with her husband in Sacramento, California, believes her story and her wheelchair underscore the bigger problem of reforming health care in America. \"Now you multiply that by how many people have a manual wheelchair, especially the baby boomers, it multiplies and multiplies and that money could be spent, even a hundred dollars out of that ... could give someone else the options that they need,\" Brown said. Reforming health care is at the top of the agenda in Washington. Everyone seems to agree this nation's health care costs and care availability are out of whack. Fixing it is another problem altogether. The Clintons failed. President Bush tried and got push-back as well. Now President Obama says he will do it because America can't put it off any longer. But he, too, is finding the way forward is not an easy path. Terms like \"affordability,\" \"single payer,\" \"universal coverage,\" and an entire lexicon have become part of the health care buzz lingo. It is a complex issue with so many facets, so many lobbyists and so many special interests that one proposal seems to result in a competing proposal or proposals, or competing parties with concerns of their own. To illustrate how difficult it will be to overhaul America's health care, CNN decided to focus on one item in the nation's health care bill: a basic wheelchair. The wheelchair, in its own small way, CNN discovered, gives a glimpse of the contentious and complex debate swirling around health care reform. CNN interviewed Brown and her husband, Dennis Brown, at a community center in Sacramento. It is a place the couple visits frequently; it is free, offers programs, books, entertainment and features a park to stroll in. Debbie Brown sent an e-mail to CNN months ago, outraged over the continuing Medicare payments for a wheelchair that after four years of use is not in the best shape. It squeaks and is hard to navigate. Her ride in it is made more difficult because her husband, retired from the armed services, is also on disability and has trouble getting the wheelchair in and out of the car. On days he is not well, he sometimes has trouble pushing her. She showed CNN her bills and documented the fact that Medicare is still paying for the wheelchair after all these years. Medicare, with Brown's permission, confirmed the payments. Brown referred us to the Internet sites where comparable chairs -- and better ones than hers -- are listed for a fraction of the cost Medicare pays over time. The Browns have a limited income and say they cannot afford to buy one. That's when CNN decided to check Brown's story by buying one directly from Apria, based in Lake Forest, California. CNN paid cash for the chair after calling one of Apria's offices in an Atlanta, Georgia, suburb. Apria representatives told the CNN buyer that the chair Brown had is no longer made but offered the model that is being rented and sold as the replacement model for the one Brown still uses. When CNN asked Apria why it rented wheelchairs to the government for $1,200, but sold it to us for $349, the company said it was an \"honest, unfortunate mistake.\" Lisa M. Getson, Apria executive vice president for government relations, said in a letter that CNN \"should have been charged $949, in accordance with Apria's retail price....\" \"Since there's no comparable sale option in the Medicare system for such a wheelchair, our employee was confused by the sale request and charged the incorrect amount,\" Getson said. But the amount CNN paid is comparable to many other companies' prices on the Web. A quick check found two firms selling the Invacare Tracer SX5 for $289.00 and $249.00, including delivery. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is nearly $300 less than the corrected Apria price. Apria Healthcare said its costs are higher because of the stringent paperwork required by the government and because it provides 24-hour on-call service. Apria also points out that the cost of the wheelchair over the past four years has been less than 78 cents per day, a bargain because it allows the patient to remain at home. Wheelchairs are classified as durable medical equipment, along with such items as oxygen tanks and home infusion therapies. Apria is the nation's leading provider of home health care products and services, according to its Web site. The nation's $1 billion annual durable medical cost is only a fraction of Medicare's $444 billion budget last year, but one government officials believe it is time to rein in. That's where this story of the rented wheelchair gets caught between all the interests involved. Congress sets the rates Medicare pays and Congress determined that wheelchairs should be billed on a monthly rate for 13 months -- the renter has to pay 20 percent of the costs. After 13 months, a user can opt to own it -- if the user knows about the rule. Brown, who worked in claims processing for years, said no one ever told her the wheelchair that barely works for her now is hers if she wants it. Instead, now that her rental term has ended, she gets billed by Apria every six months for service. Medicare pays $63 and she pays $16. Jonathan Blum, one of Obama's picks to reform the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said it is simply wrong that a wheelchair an individual can buy for $349 has cost the government $1,200. He said the government has a plan to fix it: competitive bidding. \"The good news is we have new authority right now to use competitive bidding to give the program much more flexibility,\" Blum said. But that's where the rubber -- or in this case, a wheelchair -- meets the road. Medicare has tried for years to get a bidding project off the ground. Last year, a bidding project was stopped after two weeks. The industry is flat-out against the government's proposed bidding project, contending it isn't competitive bidding at all. Opposing a bidding project is a well-funded lobbying industry, small- and durable-equipment businesses and special-interest groups who worry their ill clients won't be served if a bidding process as proposed by Medicare is put in place. So CNN loaded its wheelchair onto a Delta 757 to Washington and rolled it through the halls of Congress to find out why any representative -- not to mention 84 of them (the number who signed an April letter asking that competitive bidding be put on hold once again) would object to a plan that Medicare maintains will save taxpayer money. From Republican and Democrat alike, the answer was nearly identical as they sat for interviews next to CNN's $349 wheelchair. \"Well, you know what? I am a big believer in competitive bidding,\" said Rep. Betty Sutton, a Democrat from Ohio, where Invacare, one of the biggest manufacturers of durable equipment, is based. \"So at the outset I absolutely concur. But this program as it has unfolded, as it's been developed it really is a competitive bidding process that isn't competitive bidding.\" Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, agreed. \"My hope is that as we look at health care reform that some of those that are working off of theory, if you will, and the federal system will slow down and we look at where the lessons learned should be and we will think long and hard before they move aboard a single-payer or mandated to restrict choice and restrict options for individuals,\" said Blackburn. The American Association for Homecare, which represents many in the durable-equipment industry, said the bidding program is anti-competitive. In a statement, the association said the bidding program would \"sacrifice care for seniors and people with disabilities\" as it \"reduces patient access to and choice for medical equipment.\" The association said competitive bidding will \"increase Medicare costs because it will lead to longer, more expensive hospital stays.\" But John Rother, the head of policy and strategy for the retiree advocacy group AARP, said what's really happening is business trying to protect profits -- in this case profits four times the cost of Brown's wheelchair rental. \"It's an outrage,\" Rother said. \"It's a ripping off of the taxpayer. It doesn't make any sense to have those kinds of expenses for products that could be bought for so much less.\" Medicare again plans to try to get its competitive bidding program started later this year in at least nine markets, although Blum said it is unlikely to go into effect until next year. As for Brown, her four-year-old wheelchair needs replacing. She's reluctantly applied through her doctor for a new one. CNN's Marcus Hooper contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Woman: Rented, $1,200 taxpayer-funded wheelchair can be bought for $440 .\nCNN found chair that could be bought for a fourth of the price .\nDebbie Brown believes her story, wheelchair underscore problem health care reform .\nLegislators, companies debate competitive bidding to fix problem ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- New IBO light-welterweight world champion, Manny Pacquiao, is planning a career in politics, the 30-year-old told CNN on his return to his native Phillipines. Philippine boxing champ Manny Pacquiao sits with Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Lito Atienza (L) and former governor Chavit Singson (R) in Manila. Though \"Pacman\" will concentrate on boxing until next year, the man dubbed the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world suggested he could retire the following year to run for congress. \"I want to be a Congressman so I can help the people,\" Pacquiao told CNN's Andrew Stevens. But when asked if becoming the Filipino president was his ultimate aim he added: \"I wouldn't think about that because my ambition is only to run for congress. Pacquiao previously ran in the 2007 congressional elections for President Arroyo's party but was beaten by the Nationalist People's Coalition candidate Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who received 139,061 votes to Pacquiao's 75,908, Britain's Daily Telegraph said. Pacquiao is a national hero in the Phillipines but has seen his popularity grow around the world since his comprehensive victory over British fighter Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas. \"I'm happy to be back (in Manila) because there's a lot of people supporting me here. I expected it in the Phillipines but I had many supporting me in America too.\" The man dubbed the \"National Fist\" will be a busy man over the next few months as he plans to make his second film and record a TV programme. This is a long way from his humble origins growing up in General Santos City, southern Philippines, a reality that Pacquiao says he struggles to believe sometimes. \"I never dreamed I would reach the levels of success I have reached, he said. \"But I have faith in God and discipline in myself to make the sacrifices (needed) and to train hard.\" In 14 years as a professional, Pacquiao has won world titles in four weight divisions -- from 7st 8lb to 9st 9lb, at flyweight, super bantamweight, super featherweight and lightweight. In his last contest, in December, in what many felt would be a step too far, he dismantled America's most popular boxer, Oscar De La Hoya, at the 10st 7lb limit, in eight one-sided rounds. Pacquiao is currently rated by The Ring, the sport's most respected trade magazine, as the best boxer in the world. His career earnings stand at an estimated £30 million, with major paydays coming relatively late in his career. However he remains modest despite the success. \"It's a big honour to me and my family to be looked up to by so many people. \"My inspiration comes from my family -- the people who are always there behind me supporting me and love me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Manny Pacquiao plans career in politics .\nWants to run for Philliphines congress .\nWorld's best pound-for-pound fighter coulf retire in 2010 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch expects News Corporation-owned newspaper Web sites to start charging users for access within a year in a move which analysts say could radically shake-up the culture of freely available content. Murdoch said the existing Internet business model was \"malfunctioning.\" Speaking on a conference call as News Corporation announced a 47 percent slide in quarterly profits to $755 million, Murdoch said the current free access business model favored by most content providers was flawed. \"We are now in the midst of an epochal debate over the value of content and it is clear to many newspapers that the current model is malfunctioning,\" the News Corp. Chairman and CEO said. \"We have been at the forefront of that debate and you can confidently presume that we are leading the way in finding a model that maximizes revenues in return for our shareholders... The current days of the Internet will soon be over.\" Murdoch said the experience of the News Corp.-owned Wall Street Journal had proved that charging for content could be made to work. Would you pay to use news Web sites? Sound Off below . He said 360,000 people had downloaded an iPhone WSJ application in three weeks. Users would soon be made to pay \"handsomely\" for accessing WSJ content, he added. Murdoch said he envisaged other News Corp. titles introducing charges within 12 months. Murdoch's international newspaper empire includes the New York Post, the News International stable of UK titles including the Sun and the Times, and a cluster of Australian papers including the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun. His comments come with the U.S. newspaper industry in a state of crisis amid plunging advertising revenues and falling circulations with several historic titles already going out of business. Joshua Benton, Director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, said Murdoch was not the only executive looking to generate new income streams from online content. \"News executives are starting to recognize that online advertising revenues are not enough on their own,\" Benton told CNN. But he said the challenge for media organizations was finding a balance between advertising and subscription revenues and figuring out how to charge for content without alienating existing users -- which could lead to Web sites offering tiered levels of free and paid-for material. \"I suspect within any readership there is a small slice -- maybe three percent -- that is willing to pay. News organizations are going to have to find a way of getting money from that slice without driving away everybody else,\" Benton said. \"I don't think you can afford to put a lock and chain on the front page. Benton said the U.S. newspaper industry was in a \"horrible state\" which was likely to get worse. \"We're starting to see holes where newspapers were. The question is, will new Web sites fill the holes, will traditional names come in -- or will they just not get filled?\" Earlier this week, the 137-year-old Boston Globe said it would be forced to shut down unless it reached an agreement with unions over a $10 million program of cost-cutting measures. Watch media chief discuss charging for online content » . The paper's owners, The New York Times Co., postponed plans to close the paper after reaching a deal with six of seven employees' unions but said the Globe was expected to lose $85 million in 2009 if it did not make major cuts. The developments followed the demise of print editions of The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; and The Christian Science Monitor. The Rocky Mountain News shut down completely; both the Seattle paper and the Christian Science Monitor remain in online editions. At least 120 newspapers in the U.S. have shut down since January 2008, according to Paper Cuts, a Web site tracking the newspaper industry. More than 21,000 jobs at 67 newspapers have vaporized in that time, according to the site. Despite the general mood of gloom over the state of the economy, Murdoch said he believed the worst of the financial crisis had passed. \"I'm not an economist and we all know economists were created to make weather forecasters look good,\" he said. \"But it is increasingly clear the worst is over.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rupert Murdoch says News Corp. Web sites will charge for content within year .\nMurdoch's newspapers include New York Post, UK's Sun, Times .\nWall Street Journal proves users can be charged for content, Murdoch says .\nMurdoch: \"The current days of the Internet will soon be over\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Cycling legend Lance Armstrong -- a survivor of testicular cancer -- and girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a baby, CNN learned on Tuesday through his charitable organization. Cyclist Lance Armstrong has announced he will come out of retirement and race once again in the Tour de France. The baby is due in June. Armstrong was diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen. He underwent treatment for the disease and was able to return to cycling, eventually winning seven consecutive Tour de France's. The harsh chemotherapy left him unable to have children, although he and then-wife Kristin Richards had three children using sperm the cyclist had donated before the treatment. Armstrong and Hansen, however, are expecting without the use of any artificial fertilization process. \"This is a hopeful thing for testicular cancer survivors,\" CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said. \"It means his body healed from the chemotherapy and surgery.\" Armstrong retired from cycling after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005, and focused his energy on the Lance Armstrong Foundation (livestrong.org), which supports people affected by cancer. Armstrong founded the organization in 1997. The 37-year-old Texan announced in September that he was launching a comeback with the goal of winning the Tour de France in 2009. \"After talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden,\" he wrote on LiveStrong's Web site. He is training for several races leading up to the Tour de France, including Australia's Tour Down Under and the Giro d'Italia." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Seven-times Tour de France winner Armstrong is a survivor of testicular cancer .\nThe 37-year-old Texan already has three children from his marriage .\n\"This is a hopeful thing for all testicular cancer survivors,\" says Sanjay Gupta ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- An international peace conference in Johannesburg has been cancelled after South Africa refused the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the event. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said Monday he would boycott the conference. Announcing the postponement at a news conference Tuesday, Irvin Khosa, chairman of the South African football league, did not offer an explanation. A presidential spokesman, Thabo Masebe, said little. \"South Africa has made this decision,\" he said. \"We stand by the decision.\" The peace conference had been scheduled to start Friday. Officials said they would like to have a conference in the future, but they did not offer a specific date. The conference had been organized by South African soccer officials, led by Khosa, and was billed as an opportunity to showcase South Africa's role as a human-rights champion ahead of the 2010 World Cup -- the global soccer championship the nation will host next year. The presidential spokesman had said earlier that the Dalai Lama -- Tibet's spiritual leader and a Nobel Laureate -- did not receive a visa because it was not in South Africa's interest for him to attend. Masebe said South Africa thinks that, if the Dalai Lama attended the conference, the focus would shift away from the World Cup. \"We cannot allow focus to shift to China and Tibet,\" he said. He added that South Africa has gained much from its trading relationship with China. Khosa made the announcement at a news conference also attended by Chief Mandla Mandela, grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandla Mandela said it was a sad day for the country's democracy and the African continent that the South African government had denied the Dalai Lama a visa. South Africa should not succumb to international pressure, Mandela said. A representative of the Dalai Lama said he was not surprised by the visa refusal. The Tibetan government in exile thinks that China has pressured many countries to refuse a visit by the Dalai Lama, according to Chhime Chhoekyapa, an aide in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The peace conference was to bring together Nobel laureates and top soccer officials. Archbishop Desmond Tutu; former President F.W. De Klerk; laureates Nelson Mandela and Martti Ahtisaar; Seff Blatter, president of soccer's international governing body; and actress Charlize Theron were among those invited. The event had the blessing of the Nobel Committee. A presidential spokesman had said earlier that the Dalai Lama -- Tibet's spiritual leader and a Nobel Laureate -- did not receive a visa because it was not in South Africa's interest for him to attend." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "South Africa refused the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the event .\nSpokesman: Not in South Africa's interest for him to attend .\nGrandson of Nelson Mandela said it was a sad day for country's democracy ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Five years from now, there's an excellent chance you won't have the same health insurance you have (or don't have) right now. That's because members of Congress are gearing up to reform the U.S. health care system, and unlike in 1993 when then-first lady Hillary Clinton tried her hand at changing the medical system, this time the important players -- doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers -- seem to be on board. You heard a lot about health care reform this week, and you'll be hearing even more in the months to come. It's an incredibly confusing, complex issue, so in this week's Empowered Patient, we break it down for you with 10 frequently asked questions about health care reform. Overhauling health care is key to U.S. economic stability, President Obama tells doctors Monday. 1. Why is health care reform such a hot issue right now? Fewer and fewer Americans have health insurance, and therefore cannot afford good medical care. Nearly 46 million Americans have no insurance, and 25 million more are underinsured. One major reason for this crisis is that many employers have stopped offering insurance to employees because of the high cost. In the United States, total health care spending was $2.4 trillion in 2007 -- or $7,900 per person -- according to an analysis published in the journal Health Affairs. The United States spends 52 percent more per person than the next most costly nation, Norway, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. There's little debate that health care reform is necessary -- President Obama, Republican and Democratic members of Congress, the American Medical Association and America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents the insurance industry, all have agreed the system needs to be changed, although they disagree on how to do it. 2. So let's start with Obama. What are his plans for revamping the system? A central point of the president's plan is to create a government-sponsored health insurance program that would be an option for all Americans, similar to how Medicare is now an option for Americans over age 65. He has also said he'd \"like to see\" prohibitions against insurers discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, and incentives for people to use preventive services and wellness plans. Obama outlined this plan last week at a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and on his Web site. 3. How does the president plan to pay for this? Obama said he's already identified \"hundreds of billions of dollars\" worth of savings in the federal budget that could help finance health care reform, such as rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. He's also proposed reducing tax deductions for high-income Americans. 4. What do the Republicans think of Obama's plan? In particular, they don't like the idea of having a government-sponsored health insurance program for all Americans. They fear employers would opt for the government-run insurance over private insurance because the government option would most likely be less expensive, but Republicans say it would also be lower quality. For information, see House Minority Leader John Boehner's Web site. 5. Since they don't like Obama's ideas, how would Republicans like to reform health care? Republicans think Obama's plan is costly and will make health insurance more expensive, not less. In a plan outlined this week, House Republicans proposed individual tax breaks for buying health insurance and \"pools\" of states and small business to get lower-cost health care plans. They also proposed increasing incentives for people to build health savings accounts, allowing dependent children to stay on parents' policies until age 25 and encouraging employers to reward employees for improved health. 6. I'm happy with the insurance I receive from my employer. What would health care reform mean for me? If you receive high-quality health insurance from your employer, Obama said, his plan won't change that, and you can still keep your insurance and your doctors. Republicans, however, said that if Obama gets his way, there's a good chance your employer will stop buying the private insurance you have now and instead opt for the less-expensive government plan. 7. I have a pre-existing condition and can't get health insurance. Will health care reform help me? You have a terrible problem and you're in good company. Millions of people who don't get insurance through their employer try to get insurance on their own and are turned down because they have a pre-existing condition. Obama said at the Green Bay town hall meeting that under his reforms, no insurance plan \"would be able to deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions,\" but he didn't explain how he would force insurance companies to insure people with pre-existing health problems. Similarly, Boehner wrote on his blog that \"quality health coverage must exist for every American, regardless of pre-existing health conditions,\" but did not explain how he would pay to insure people with pre-existing conditions. 8. How do doctors feel about health care reform? The American Medical Association said while it believes in health care reform, \"the AMA does not believe that creating a public health insurance option ... is the best way to expand health insurance coverage.\" The AMA has told members of Congress that doctors fear a new government-sponsored health insurance program would reimburse them at Medicare rates. \"Medicare reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the cost of practice,\" AMA President Dr. Nancy Nielsen told CNN earlier this week. \"Our Medicare rates are back at 2001 rates, and the reality is, that's not where our rent is, that's not where the electricity is. The system for paying doctors is a broken system, and everybody acknowledges it.\" Other doctors' groups, however, support the idea. The American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Physicians Alliance and other groups put out a statement of support this week for Obama's plan. \"Having the choice of a public health insurance plan will help make health care more affordable for patients, foster greater competition in the insurance market and guarantee that quality, affordable coverage will be there for our patients no matter what happens,\" they wrote in a joint statement.. 9. Obama has mentioned high health care costs in McAllen, Texas, several times. What's up with that? According to research conducted at the Dartmouth Institute, the average per person health costs for McAllen are sky-high compared with costs in other cities. In McAllen, the average Medicare beneficiary spends $15,758 per year, while the average Medicare patient in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, spends $6,412 per year. Another comparison: The cost in Miami, Florida, is $18,170, compared with $7,478 in Portland, Oregon. Dartmouth researchers believe doctors in high-priced cities tend to refer to specialists more and are more likely to put patients in the hospital rather than handling their problems on an outpatient basis. 10. How do health care costs in the U.S. compare with costs in other countries? In the United States, every person spends on average $6,714 for health care. That's significantly higher than in the United Kingdom, where $2,760 per person is spent; or in France, where the cost is $3,449 per person; or in Canada, where medical costs are $3,678 per person, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. While some would argue that medical care is better in the United States than in these other countries, others would say the opposite is true. For example, the United States ranks 50th in life expectancy, and 180th infant mortality (meaning 179 countries have higher infant mortality rates such as Angola and Turkey and 43 countries have lower infant mortality rates such as France and Sweden) according to the CIA World Factbook. For more on international price comparisons, see this segment » on CNN Newsroom. CNN's Jennifer Pifer Bixler, Marcy Heard and Sabriya Rice contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "President Obama says health care reform is a priority; other stakeholders on board .\nU.S. spends 52 percent more per person than the next most costly nation .\nObama wants government-sponsored health insurance program .\nRepublicans think plan is costly, will make health insurance more expensive ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A man accused of killing eight people in a shooting spree at a North Carolina nursing home is the husband of a woman who worked there, police said Monday. Robert Stewart faces eight counts of first-degree murder in the nursing home shootings. The two may have been separated, said Carthage, North Carolina, Police Chief Chris McKenzie. He did not say if the wife was in the building at the time. The alleged gunman, Robert Stewart, was carrying several weapons, authorities said. Seven patients and a nurse were killed, and three people were wounded, including a visitor and a police officer. All the wounded are expected to survive, McKenzie said. Officer Justin Garner was shot in the leg, McKenzie said. \"As I understand, there were three pellets in his shin, leg and foot,\" he said. Garner entered the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center alone with no backup and brought the shooting spree to an end with a single shot, hitting Stewart in the \"chest, upper torso area,\" McKenzie said. \"If that's not heroism, I don't know what is,\" he said. Garner is \"in very good spirits, resting at home,\" he added. McKenzie said he did not know the latest on Stewart's condition. The alleged gunman's motive remained a mystery. Stewart has not made a public statement nor has an attorney on his behalf. His wife has not issued a statement either. Meanwhile, his ex-wife, Sue Griffin, told CNN affiliate WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, \"He did have some violent tendencies from time to time.\" She added that when she heard the news of Sunday's shooting, \"I couldn't believe it -- then I stopped, thought about it and thought, 'It is possible. It's possible.' \" At a news conference Monday, McKenzie described the shooting spree as \"unimaginable\" and \"horrific.\" \"Everything that you can possibly imagine that is bad in the world,\" he said. \"This doesn't happen, but it did.\" He described the small town as \"strong, faith-based -- and that faith will get this community through this.\" The tragedy draws attention to what McKenzie called the toughest part of training police officers. Officers are told not to wait for backup when there are many lives on the line, he said. \"That's the hardest thing -- to try to convince them you can't wait, you have to go.\" If Garner had waited for backup, \"there would have been a lot more people [killed],\" McKenzie said. The slain patients ranged in age from 78 to 98, Moore County District Attorney Maureen Krueger said. A witness told CNN affiliate WRAL-TV in Raleigh-Durham that Stewart was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and other weapons. Jerry Avant Sr. told WRAL that his son, Jerry Avant, a 39-year-old registered nurse, was the employee who was killed in the shooting. He said a doctor told him that his son had been shot more than two dozen times. The elder Avant said the doctor told him his son \"undoubtedly saved a lot of lives.\" Watch dad praise his son's bravery » . Stewart faces eight counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony assault on a police officer, and other charges are pending, Krueger said. Carthage is about 60 miles southwest of Raleigh. See map showing Carthage and Raleigh » ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Alleged gunman may have been separated from wife .\nNEW: Lone police officer took down shooter, chief says .\nNEW: Police say they don't have motive in slayings .\nEight people shot and killed Sunday at North Carolina nursing home ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In 1994, universal health care was a key policy plan for then-President Bill Clinton. It eventually failed. In 1993, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton listen to a man's story about health care problems. Now, 15 years later, another Democratic president is taking on the challenge, but facing an uphill battle from not only from Republicans, but from members of his own party. Will failing to reform health care have the same consequences for Obama's administration as it did for Clinton's? Like Obama, Clinton came into office with reforming the nation's health care system as one of his top priorities. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton, who headed the administration's task force on reforming the system, delivered a 1,000-page plan that was dubbed \"Hillary Care,\" which required Americans and permanent resident aliens to enroll in a health plan. Other provisions included Americans below a certain income level paying nothing for care. Republicans decried the plan as overcomplicated and used it to tag the administration as big government-loving, tax-and-spend liberals. The plan's failure emboldened Republicans and led to huge Democratic losses in the 1994 midterm elections, allowing the GOP to take control of Congress and stymie other Clinton initiatives. Now, 15 years later, Obama potentially faces a similar fate. Obama seeks the overhaul to ensure that health insurance is available to the 46 million Americans currently without coverage while preventing costs to both the government and individuals from continuing to climb. Watch more on the health care debate » . The president had set a deadline for passage of a bill before the August congressional recess, but in an interview Monday with PBS's Jim Lehrer, the president said that if Congress tells him it's \"going to spill over by a few days or a week,\" that's fine. iReport.com: Weigh in on the health care debate . A senior White House official adds that while there is a \"long way to go\" in coming up with legislation, there is a true effort being made to devise a bipartisan plan. See how the plans compare » . \"[The Senate] is working in a bipartisan way and despite all of the cacophony of attacks you've heard from some Republicans, I think you've got to give some credit to the Republicans on the finance committee who are making right now a good faith effort, despite pressure, probably from their own party, to work with Democrats to try to come up with something that people can get behind,\" said White House Communications Director Anita Dunn on Wednesday. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, says in order for health care reform to get passed, it will take a well-coordinated bipartisan effort. \"I think the president is right. He really does want a bipartisan effort. And that's what it's going to take for it to be for the American people. But the approach to it is kind of like a doctor practicing bad medicine where you fix only symptoms and don't treat the disease. ... the disease is only going to get worse.\" But the battle over health care reform is weighed down by complex problems, competing interests, a $1 trillion price tag, conservative Democrats in sticker shock and Republicans sensing an opportunity to regain some of the power they lost in the 2006 congressional elections. Conservative Bill Kristol wrote in his blog that there is an opportunity to inflict political damage to the president and that opponents shouldn't compromise: . \"My advice, for what it's worth: Resist the temptation,\" Kristol wrote. \"This is no time to pull punches. Go for the kill.\" The White House has so far resisted another idea for raising revenue -- creating a tax on the medical benefits provided by employers. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus said he likes the idea, but Obama said it could be too disruptive to a system in which 180 million Americans have health coverage provided by their employers. But while Obama has remained mostly popular in national polls so far, support for his health care plan has begun to wane. A CNN Poll of Polls released Wednesday indicates that less than half the country approves of how he's handling the issue. Forty-seven percent in the poll approve of how the president is dealing with health care reform, with 44 percent disapproving. The poll averaged the three most recent national surveys that asked about Obama's performance on health care: USA Today/Gallup (July 17-19); ABC/Washington Post (July 15-18) and CBS News (July 9-12). Meanwhile, Coburn -- a fierce opponent of the current plans being worked up in Congress -- says that Congress needs to slow down. \"Getting this right is better than meeting a political deadline ... I want him to back off the timeline,\" he said. \"Let's start over ... let's fix it all and do it in a way that the American people won't charge it to their grandkids.\" CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, who has worked under several administrations, including Clinton's, says there's is concern that Obama may be trying to ram health care legislation through Congress as he did with the economic stimulus plan. \"And they [Americans] don't have a lot of confidence in the past effort in the stimulus plan to put together something comprehensive and -- 'here we go again' ... something that looks like it's being thrown together to many people in the public. So they're not confident that they want it. And Coburn's argument -- along with nearly all congressional Republicans' -- could pose a risk to Obama's political capital with Americans. Gergen agrees. \"I think he's got two other problems: One is that he doesn't have a firm plan to sell. ... Second thing is, from his point of view, there are many in the public that'd like to hear from him and also like to see just how he's negotiating the plan,\" he said. \"What they look for is a leadership that says, 'Here's where we're going to go,' not a leadership that says, 'I'm urging Congress to make more progress' \" Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who Obama had tapped to be Health and Human Services director and the point person on health care reform before tax problems derailed his nomination, said getting health care reform passed now will be a major factor in defining Obama's presidency. \"Because he's made it such an issue, and because he has invested so much personal time and effort, this will, more than stimulus and more than anything he has done so far, be a measure of his clout and of his success early on,\" Daschle was quoted in the New York Times. \"And because it is early on, it will define his subsequent years.\" CNN's Dana Bash, Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "President Obama is urging Congress to come up with a health care reform plan .\nCNN analyst sees similarities between Obama's push and Clinton's in 1994 .\nObama and top Democrats are seeking coverage for 46 million Americans ." } ]